BY FARAI MACHAMIRE

Zimbabweans face at least two more years of power shortages as the government works to stabilize electricity generation and meet demand, the Minister of Energy and Power Development, Edgar Moyo, has revealed.

The country’s daily power generation currently averages 1,232 megawatts (MW) against a demand of 1,735 MW, with imports and load-shedding bridging the shortfall.

Speaking in Parliament (Senate) on Wednesday and quoted on ZimLive, Moyo painted a grim picture of the nation’s energy landscape but assured citizens that ongoing and upcoming projects would eventually close the gap.

“The refurbishment of Hwange Power Station’s Unit 5 will add 160 MW to the national grid by August 2026, helping address the electricity shortfall,” he said. Additionally, Unit 7 at Hwange will undergo maintenance in January 2025 to ensure its long-term efficiency.

However, Moyo highlighted a 68.75% increase in water allocation for power generation in 2025, stemming from an anticipated above-normal rainfall season.

“This will significantly increase power availability next year,” he noted.

A recent nationwide blackout on November 24 disrupted the fragile energy system, with power restored after seven hours. The cause of the disturbance is still under investigation.

To mitigate load-shedding, the government plans to rely on Independent Power Producers (IPPs), which currently contribute over 200 MW, and accelerate renewable energy projects like solar farms. Projects such as the Batoka Gorge Hydro Electric Plant, with a potential capacity of 1,200 MW, and the Devils Gorge Hydro Project, expected to generate 600 MW, are also in development.

“The repowering of Hwange units 1 to 6 over the next 48 to 60 months will restore the station’s capacity to 840 MW, significantly stabilizing the power supply,” Moyo said.

On nuclear energy, the minister disclosed that the government is exploring prospects with Russia’s ROSATOM and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Thirty Zimbabwean students are currently training in nuclear physics abroad as part of the initiative.

Despite these efforts, Moyo acknowledged the challenges ahead. “Without significant interventions, the forecast demand of 1,735 MW will continue to outstrip supply, resulting in ongoing load curtailment,” he said.

Zimbabwe’s path to reliable electricity hinges on the successful completion of these projects and the implementation of efficient energy policies. For now, the nation must brace for continued power outages.

The prolonged outages, now extending to 18-hours a day, have taken a toll on households and industries, affecting productivity and increasing operational costs for businesses reliant on backup power. Critics argue that the government’s reliance on imports and promises of future projects have not eased the immediate burden on citizens.

SOURCE: ZIMLIVE

BY STAFF REPORTER 

In a recent interview with VicFallsLive reporter Nokuthaba Dlamini, Tinashe Farawo of the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) addressed the controversy surrounding elephant culling in Zimbabwe.

Farawo responded to criticism from conservationists on social media, who have condemned Zimparks for their handling of problem elephants in communities.

The debate sparked after an incident in Victoria Falls two months ago, where an elephant was killed in the suburbs, and others were killed in Hwange town.

Farawo defended Zimparks’ actions, stating that communities are under distress due to elephants causing unwarranted curfews, disrupting daily life, and even resulting in fatalities.

He criticized conservationists for slamming the idea of shooting to kill problem elephants, accusing them of being “greedy lots” who are more interested in fundraising than providing solutions.

Below are excerpts from the interview, where Farawo shares his perspective on the matter:

We don’t deal with activists, this is activism they are not conservationists, they are just activists

What we do, let me give you an example we have a hunting quota of 500 elephants every year, and this hunting quota has been in place since 1991, we have never exhausted that quota

We have a management quota that is in place there are many things that we can do. Do they know the definition of culling for example?

When we react to distress calls when communities tell us that there are elephants and lions there and we respond and when we respond we do an assessment and when human life is under threat we are left with no option, but to eliminate

In respect of the two incidences one which happened here in Victoria Falls and the other incident which happened in Hwange, you can actually see that the elephants were in the streets in communities and when we go there, we do an assessment.

Communities in Hwange last month were put on an unwanted curfew by the elephants. For two weeks, no one was going to school, no one was leaving his or her homestead

We receive those distress calls and we go there to restore order and the options that we have is either we scare the animals away, but if human life is under threat, we are left with no option.

We are no apologetic, that’s our job, our laws provide for that.

But because they don’t that and they don’t know the definition of culling and because they are activists and if they were conservationists they would understand what l am saying.

They are just raising their own money in the name our elephants, for their benefits.

They are just greedy and they have never given us options or alternatives to say what is it can we can do with the crisis.

We have a lot of biodiversity projects around our parks, do they say anything about it.

Communities lose their lives l, we have never heard them, even a condolence message.

BY NYASHA CHINGONO 

Zimbabwe’s government expects economic growth to accelerate to 6% in 2025 from 2% this year, helped by improved agricultural output and power generation as the country recovers from a severe drought, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said on Thursday.

Ncube added in a budget speech that the budget deficit was seen at 0.4% of gross domestic product next year versus 1.4% this year.

Like other countries in southern Africa, Zimbabwe’s economy was dealt a blow by an El Nino-induced drought which depressed food production and hydroelectric power supply.

Weaker lithium and platinum prices also weighed on its mining sector.

Ncube told lawmakers in parliament that the agriculture sector was projected to grow 12.8% in 2025 following a 15.0% contraction this year, while mining growth is seen accelerating to 5.6% next year from 2.3% in 2024.

Zimbabwe’s long-running currency problems persisted in 2024 as policymakers dumped the Zimdollar in April and replaced it with the ZiG, or Zimbabwe Gold, that has also slumped since its launch.

Ncube said without elaborating further that the government would next year seek to encourage greater acceptance of the ZiG by a sceptical public, who still use foreign currencies like the dollar for the bulk of local transactions.

SOURCE:REUTERS