Like in South Africa, where the simple maintenance and upkeep of a fully functioning infrastructure seems to be a challenge to African regimes, Zimbabwe who was once a powerhouse in Southern Africa, has been reduced to asking its neighbours to commission new power plants to supply Zimbabwe, as it seems it cannot even commission its own power plants anymore.

The current electricity cuts were allegedly because of rehabilitation work at the Kariba South hydropower plant, constraints at its coal-fired Hwange plant and limited power imports (from struggling SA?), according to the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority.

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A total of 1,276 megawatts was being produced by plants in the country on Thursday, according to data from the state-owned power company. Demand is at 1,700 megawatts.

The two neighbouring countries already supply Zimbabwe with as much as 170 megawatts of electricity. Zimbabwe have asked Mozambique and Zambia to supply it with more electricity as it tries to fill the power shortfall that’s led to blackouts of 12 hours a day.

“We are in discussions with Mozambique for the recently commissioned power plants to give us an additional 180 megawatts,” Energy Minister Soda Zhemu told lawmakers Wednesday, according to a transcript on parliament’s website. “We are also at final stage of discussion with Zambia to get an additional 100 megawatts.”

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Author: Eire Ann

Eireann Online