The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority warned this week that consumers and businesses should must brace for more load-shedding over the next three to four years as it faces major challenges including massive financial debt and vandalism.
Appearing before the Parliamentary Committee on Energy, Zesa Chief Executive Officer Josh Chifamba said Monday that vandalism alone is costing the utility around $800,000 a month while increased scarcity of power in the region is contributing to load-shedding.
Zesa increased tariffs by 31 percent in September and recent reports said it was planning another increase of 47 percent on top of that. Projects to bolster production at Kariba and Hwange won’t deliver results until 2015 and 2016, respectively.
The Kariba plant is hydro-electric. Hwange is coal-fired.
Energy Committee Chairman Simbaneuta Mudarikwa of ZANU-PF told reporter Jonga Kandemiiri that the only way Zesa could properly serve the country would be if the government assumed its debts.