Load-shedding could worsen: Mangoma
01/04/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter
POWER supply problems could worsen across the country over Easter unless the
US$76 million debt owed to suppliers in Mozambique is significantly reduced,
a cabinet minister has warned.
Energy Minister, Elton Mangoma said Zimbabwe needs to reduce its debt to
under US$40 million by Friday to ensure the current power supply problems do
not get worse.
“They (Mozambique) agreed to increase power supply once we have made our
payment. They expecting us to bring our debt to below US$40 million and they
said that is when the power supply would be increased for us,” Mangoma told
the state-owned Herald newspaper.
“For us to have reduced load-shedding during the holidays, it all depends on
whether we are able to mobilise the required resources by Friday.
“If that is not the case, it means the situation would remain the same and
we will continue with the power outages until we set off what we owe.”
Mangoma said ZESA – which is owed more that US$550 million by customers —
would step-up disconnections of defaulters over the next few days to help
raise the money needed to reduce the debt with Mozambique.
“What this means is more power disconnections for everyone,” he said.
“Although I cannot disclose the amount we have at the moment, we are also
going to apply multiple methods to raise the money and Government also has
to look for other alternatives like loans or where to borrow.”
Zimbabwe generates 1,300MW of electricity which was way short of the daily
national requirement of about 2,200 megawatts.
The country has plugged the gap with imports from regional suppliers but
many have cut back supplies due to payment problems.
The shortages have forced ZESA to ration supplies to both commercial and
domestic users with some areas going for more than 10 hours per day without
power.