National

Zimbabwe, Zambia fail to exhaust Kariba water allocation for electricity

Published

4 years ago

September 7, 2021

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

Zimbabwe and Zambia failed to utilise their maximum water allocation for electricity generation from Kariba Dam in August, it has been revealed.

The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) said the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) had a balance of 5.28 billion cubic meters (BCM) of water while the Zesco Limited of Zambia had a balance of 3.65 BCM.

In the past month, Zimbabwe has endured power cuts due to depressed electricity generation, especially at the Hwange thermal power station.

It was not immediately clear why ZPC was not fully utilising its water allocation at the Kariba Dam to maximise on the electricity generation.

“As of 31st August 2021, ZESCO Limited had utilised 17.35 BCM of its 21 BCM water allocation (83% utilisation), while the Zimbabwe Power Company had utilised 15.72 BCM of its 21 BCM water allocation (75% utilisation),” ZRA chief executive officer Munyaradzi Munodawafa said in the latest update.

“This leaves a balance of 3.65 BCM and 5.28 BCM for ZESCO and ZPC, respectively, for utilisation during the remaining period of the year 2021.”

According to ZPC, on Monday the Kariba hydropower station was generating 680 megawatts (MW) of electricity of 1 626 MW.

The combined output from Kariba and the country’s thermal power stations was 1 174 MW against peak demand of 1 700 MW.

The ZRA said it will maintain the monthly water allocation for Zimbabwe and Zambia at the 42 BCM despite indications that water levels were receding.

It said lake levels at Kariba on September 1 stood at 481.55m compared to the last update made on August 4, which was at 482.16m.

“It has receded by 0.61m,” Munodawafa said.

“Currently, the lake level is 6.05 meters above the mnimum operating level (MOL) of 475.50m. “

The recorded level of September 1s, 2021 translated to 28.16 BCM or 43.45% of usable or live storage.

“The authority has maintained the 42 BCM combined water allocation for power generation operations at Kariba for 2021 after it was revised upward from 30 BCM on 25th June 2021.”

Last year on the same date, the Kariba dam level was lower at 480.48m with 22.94BCM or 35.40% of usable storage, with the water being only 4.98m above the MOL.

The decision to increase water allocation for power generation was a result of the second quarter review of the hydrological outlook at Kariba that considered the normal to above normal rainfall performance and associated increased inflows into Kariba Dam.

ZRA is scheduled to undertake the next quarterly hydrological review at the end of September 2021, and this may result in” either maintaining, increasing, or reducing” the volume of water allocated for power generation operations at Kariba for the year 2021.

National

Coal train in flames: NRZ locomotive damaged in fire incident

Published

1 month ago

April 16, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY WANDILE TSHUMA

A National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) locomotive suffered significant damage after catching fire while transporting export coal to Zambi. The incident occurred between Kalala and Matetsi sidings, resulting in the explosion of the locomotive’s fuel tanks.

According to the NRZ press statement on Monday, “A National Railways of Zimbabwe locomotive suffered some damages after it caught fire this afternoon while transporting export coal to Zambia.” Fortunately, the crew members on board managed to escape unharmed.

The NRZ responded swiftly to the incident, dispatching a rescue train with crews to the site. The team successfully extinguished the fire, preventing further damage. However, the locomotive itself sustained considerable damage.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined, with investigations currently underway. “Investigations are already underway to establish the cause of the fire and the amount of damage to the locomotive,” the NRZ statement read.

National

Ranger killed by elephant in Kariba

Published

2 months ago

March 14, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A 62-year-old ranger, Josphat Mandishara, was tragically killed by an elephant in Kariba yesterday.

Mandishara, who worked for the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), was on patrol in the Gatche-gatche area with fellow rangers and police officers.

At around 10 pm, Mandishara returned to the harbor where their boat was docked, and that’s when he encountered the elephant. The elephant charged at him, causing fatal injuries. His colleagues were nearby, resupplying at the Gatche-gatche Irrigation Scheme.

Mandishara’s body was taken to Kariba District Hospital for a post-mortem, and the incident was reported to the police.

ZimParks has sent a team to manage the problem elephant and prevent similar incidents in the future.

The Director General of ZimParks, Prof. Edson Gandiwa, and his team have sent condolences to Mandishara’s family, friends, and colleagues. Mandishara will be remembered for his dedication to wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe.

National

ZIMRA customs officer appears in court for criminal abuse of office

Published

4 months ago

February 3, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

A Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) customs officer, Phillip Kuvenga, has been accused of criminal abuse of office for allegedly assisting in the importation of banned motor vehicles.

Kuvenga, 28, who is stationed at Victoria Falls, allegedly received documents from clients, completed valuation sheets, and carried out the valuation process. However, he is accused of endorsing different chassis numbers to deceive his supervisors during the validation and approval process.

After obtaining approval, Kuvenga would capture the correct chassis numbers in the ASYCUDA World System. He would then alter or replace the documents submitted earlier to his supervisors.

The offense came to light when a motor vehicle that had not yet arrived in Zimbabwe was found to have been already registered. A thorough check by ZIMRA led to Kuvenga’s arrest.

Kuvenga appeared in court on February 1, where he was denied bail by Magistrate Gift Manyka. He is expected to appear in court again today for another bail hearing.