from MARCUS MUSHONGA in Harare, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Bureau
HARARE, (CAJ News) – MORE issues, including technical problems, have plunged Zambia and Zimbabwe into their worst electricity crisis.
The situation is predicted to continue until at least late September.
The issues compound an already dire situation caused by the record low water levels at the Kariba Dam, which the two neighbouring countries heavily rely on for hydro electricity.
The reduced levels are blamed on one of the most severe droughts in the region.
The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), which manages the dam that opened in 1959, recently reported that water levels had dropped to around 8,7 percent in late August.
This is compared to 27 percent in the same period in 2023.
“Notably, the lake level remains lower compared to the corresponding period last year,” said Sithembinkosi Mhlanga, ZRA Acting Chief Executive Officer.
The official said a decrease of 2,59m was evident when comparing this week’s lake level to the level of the same week in 2023.
Meanwhile, on August 24, a technical problem at the Hwange thermal power station worsened supply shortages, resulting in power cuts running to 18 hours daily in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe had resumed higher stages of power cuts in June owing to the crisis at Kariba.
Planned repairs are also limiting power generation by the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), owing to outdated equipment.
Zambia’s woes are worse, resulting in the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) 20-hour rolling power cuts.
ZESCO also blamed this on planned maintenance and delays in imports from neighbouring Namibia.
Before the latest crisis, the country was experiencing 12-hour rolling power cuts.
This week, over two days, local, regional, and international weather experts met in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, to discuss the issue as well as to provide an outlook for the upcoming 2024/2025 rainfall season.
They met under the aegis of the Southern Africa Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF).
The details of the consensus outlook for the 2024/2025 rainfall season for the region were yet to be provided.
Southern Africa experiences extreme weather patterns, attributed to climate change.
Some countries in the region also experience tropical cyclones almost yearly, resulting in deaths and destruction to property and farmlands, adding to a cycle of food shortages.
– CAJ News