The Zimbabwean Energy and Power Development Minister, Fortune Chasi, will soon lead a delegation to South Africa to finalise a new power supply deal to ease electricity woes in the country.
Since May, Zimbabwe has been facing challenges with power generation from the Kariba dam due to falling water levels.As such, the country has had to boost imports from South Africa, which have been curtailed due to unreliable payment.
To this end, over the weekend, Zimbabwe’s President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, engaged in talks with his South African counterpart, President Cyril Ramaphosa, to find solutions to the country’s power problems.
Mnangagwa said: "With President Ramaphosa we met and we were sharing challenges we are facing and, in particular, energy shortages. We exchanged views on how we can deal with that issue. Of course, our ZESA owes Eskom quite a lot of money and they have been able to pay $10 million last week to reduce that debt.
“This enables them to have discussions and I think our Minister of Energy [Fortune Chasi] will go to South Africa … to discuss some new arrangements.”
