Paying ESKOM US$10 Million Didn't Guarantee Increased Electricity Imports - CHASI
Energy minister, advocate Fortune Chasi is expected to go to South Africa next week to resume power talks with that country’s power utility, ESKOM.
This comes after ESKOM refused to resume exporting at least 350 megawatts to Zimbabwe despite meeting a high delegation from ZESA.
There were high hopes that the meeting between Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, on the sidelines of a meeting in Niger would influence South Africa to resume exporting electricity to Zimbabwe.
The SA president however later said that as much as they would like to assist Zimbabwe, they would put their interests first and Zimbabwe needed to pay its debts.
Speaking ahead of his trip, Chasi said:
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I will be travelling to South Africa soon for discussions around power. Like I said, the fact that we paid them US$10 million three weeks ago does not mean they will resume giving us power. We still have to hold discussions.
In the meantime, I am still studying the report by the delegation which went to meet Eskom.
Zimbabwe is currently receiving only 50 Megawatts from ESKOM. The reduction of imports from South Africa coincides with the reduction of volumes of power generated locally.
The Kariba Hydropower plant and the Hwange Thermal Power Plant are reportedly producing way below capacity due to low water levels and ageing equipment, respectively.
Resultantly, ZESA has rolled out a crippling power cut schedule which has seen most parts of the country going without power between 0400 hours and 2200 hours daily. Some businesses are halting operations as a result.
More: Daily News
