Power was out from 11am to 3.45pm, sapping the energy of the city as businesses ground to a halt. All people could do was kick their heels in frustration. Downtown, a few places like Meriting Spar had to use their emergency generators to keep things just about going and perishables fresh. Frustrated customers looking for sheenplasters at Barclays Bank were directed to Head Office in Gaborone, nearly 450 kilometres away. At FNB, the manager opted to go AWOL: Who can blame the poor fellow?
Dr Sandra Mudavhanu Nawa, a dentist, pointed an accusing pair of pincers at the Botswana Power Corporation. "They did not even have the courtesy to inform us that there would be a problem," she bristled. She says she could not attend to at least seven clients, which is loss of business, bad teeth, and possibly bad breath all round. She had to re-schedule her patients' appointments to the following day, though she could not guarantee their return. Or that there would be power. At a law firm at Ngilichi House, a sorrowing solicitor was heard articulate his frustrations thus: "This is really bad. I wish there was a way out of this." He might have added: "noose," for the hangman's tool criminal lawyers spend their days plotting how to dodge for their fowl clients to the detriment of prosecutors and justice.
