Buea: Power outage in Dirty South hits students, businesses hard

By Synthia Lateu

Residents of Dirty South in Buea, Southwest Region, are still grappling with a month-long power outage that has impeded their daily lives. The student neighborhood has seen a slowdown in activities, with the constant roar of generators supplying power to businesses in the area. Studying has become a challenge, with students relying on candles and flashlights at night. “It has not been easy for us to complete assignments,” one student said.

Some have moved in with friends in other parts of town, exposing themselves to risks, including attacks (from who). “Students are leaving the area because of the power outage; they need to study for their Cas” (said who)
Like most parts of Buea, the neighborhood depends on electrically-powered boreholes for water. The absence of power has made access to this essential resource challenging, forcing residents to trek long distances in search of the precious liquid. “We are forced to go to the UB campus to carry water. It is not easy to transport water over such distances for daily needs” said Jackline, a Dirty South resident.
Business owners in the area who rely on electricity are lamenting slow returns and losses. A lady working at a documentation store revealed that she has spent 25,000 FCFA on fuel to keep her business running with the help of a generator in the past two weeks. “The profit I’m making from this business is all going toward fuel. I understand that it’s not the customers’ fault that there’s no electricity, so I keep my prices normal like everyone else. If I don’t, they will abandon me for the next person” she said.
The problem is particularly severe on Streets Two and Three, while Street One’s issues were resolved after a week due to different connections with other neighborhoods. Residents have been informed that the transformer got burned and has been taken to Douala for repairs. This phenomenon is not new. The area experienced a similar outage in June which lasted a month as well.

The population protested at the governor’s office two weeks ago against the ongoing situation, but the crisis persists despite authorities’ promises to restore power to the area.