The Rolling Blackouts in Zimbabwe: A Zombie to Economic Recovery Prospects (2013 a 2014)
ccording to senior officials in the Energy sector, energy starved Zimbabwe will suffer longer and more frequent power shortages for the next 10 years. The country’s power utility will extend power blackouts until it can boost capacity. Patson Mbiriri, Secretary for Energy and Power Development told an annual congress of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) in Nyanga recently, ‘By about 2022 is when the country will be able to generate enough electricity for domestic and industrial needs,’ said Mbiriri. Zimbabwe needs about 2200 megawatts of electricity at peak consumption but generates just below 1300 megawatts, while relying on imports to fill the gap (Staff Reporter 2014). Due to ageing equipment, power generation is often disrupted following breakdowns. In most cases, the generators operate below capacity. In recent months Zimbabwe could only afford to import 25 megawatts from neighbouring countries after major electricity suppliers in the region turned off the switches over non payment of dues. “Most of our woes in terms of blackouts will end in 2015” Mbiriri said. The then energy minister Honourable Elton Mangoma said Zimbabwe had whittled its debt to power providers to under US$20 million from around US$100 million in a bid to resume power imports. There were plans to revamp the Northern Kariba hydro power station and the Hwange Ethanol power station in the West of the country.
