eBusiness Weekly
HARARE – The Zimbabwean government said on Wednesday it has made a part payment of US$10 million to clear its debt to South African power utility, Eskom which is expected to create room for more power imports from the neighbouring country.
The country, which is facing crippling power shortages that have resulted in the introduction of load shedding, owed both Eskom and HCB of Mozambique a combined US$83 million.
The debt has blocked the ability of local power utility, Zesa Holdings to import more power to cover its deficit averaging about 500 Megwatts.
Energy and Power Development Minister, Fortune Chasi said besides the payment made to Eskom, the government had also cleared its debt of ZWL$20 million with Zesa, and is due to avail a further ZWL$20 million to support the company’s rehabilitation programmes.
“The payment to Eskom might unlock more relief support. It’s a significant development which we expect to alleviate our current difficulties,” Chasi told a post-Cabinet media briefing.
He said talks would be going on with the South African utility on the amount of power that could be extended to Zimbabwe aside from the 50 MW that it was currently importing.
At the same time, negotiations would also be going on with HCB after both Zimbabwean and Mozambican Presidents, Emmerson Mnangagwa and Felipe Nyusi respectively met last week and agreed on a possible power supply deal.
Chasi emphasised the need for both commercial customers and households to follow in the footsteps of the government and settle their bills with the power utility which amount to ZWL$1.2 billion.
“The resolution of our power issues falls on all of us. We must pay our bills, all of us,” he said.
“It is very easy to criticise Zesa but we owe bills amounting to $1.2 billion to our own institution that is at the nerve centre of our economy,” he said.
He said in the meantime, strategies were being put in place to diversify the country’s power sources, with focus on solar, wind and gas.
“We have no control over the rains, we need to hedge against the risks,” he said, referring to current production challenges being faced at the Kariba hydro-power station owing to low water levels following a drought last season. – New Ziana
