Harare, (New Ziana)-Parliament on Wednesday ordered the Energy and Power Development Minister Edgar Moyo to bring a comprehensive statement to the house explaining why the country is experiencing increased load shedding.
The demand for an explanation by legislators came as some parts of the country have had no electricity for more than 76 hours this week.
But the Minister blamed the worsening electricity supply situation on the reduced water levels in Lake Kariba as well as a technical fault at Hwange power station. He said Kariba Power Station is now generating 100MW, less than a tenth of its capacity, due to low water levels.
“Currently, at Hwange 7 and 8, we are running at full throttle and generating 640megawatts. At Hwange Stages 1 and 2, during winter, we were at peak capacity at 420 megawatts. Now, we are doing 260 megawatts and as a result of the breakdown of other units, we are now generating power using just three units.
In Kariba during that time, we were able to do up to 300 megawatts but now we are only able to do 100 megawatts which arithmetically means that we are now generating less power than we had during winter.
“That has significantly reduced the water levels and we are now left with about 1 billion cubic litres of water which can generate 100 megawatts up to the end of the year. This means that we have a huge reduction in Lake Kariba and in Stages 1 and 2 in Hwange because of the breakdown of the old generators,” he told parliamentarians.
Proportional representation MP Dr Thokozane Khupe, however, insisted that the Minister should bring a comprehensive statement on the state of power generation to Parliament and the order was granted by the Speaker.
“On a point of order, I request that the Minister of Energy brings a comprehensive Ministerial Statement stating where the problem is and what the problem is and when the problem is going to be resolved so that at least the public knows and those who can afford solar can do solar.
Once he brings in the Ministerial Statement, questions to do with energy will not be coming every time and again because the Minister will explain to the public to say, this is the problem that we have and this is what we are doing and this is what needs to be done or this is what we cannot do and this is when the problem is going to be resolved. I think that will deal with this issue of energy,” she said.
New Ziana
