OWN CORRESPONDENT, Harare | Friday 8.00pm
South Africa is poised to rescue Zimbabwe from its crippling fuel and looming electricity energy shortages, a Zimbabwean cabinet minister said on Friday.
Nathan Shamuyarira said at the end of talks between President Thabo Mbeki and Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe in Harare on Friday that they discussed the country’s diesel and electrical power problems.
Mbeki arrived in Zimbabwe’s capital Harare Friday afternoon for talks with his embattled counterpart, Mugabe, a day before a crucial referendum on a new constitution.
The two men held one-on-one talks shortly after Mbeki’s arrival, while foreign affairs, energy, finance, trade and commerce ministers from both countries met on the sidelines.
Mbeki’s visit comes at a critical time in Zimbabwe, which is in the throes of its worst economic crisis since independence 20 years ago. The country is short of fuel because of debts run up by corruption in the state oil procurement company and risks power cuts because of an acute shortage of foreign currency.
Zimbabwe imports electricity from South Africa and Shamuyarira said delegations from the power utility companies of the two countries will hold follow-up talks next week to map out an agreement on the power problem. Zimbabwe is currently sitting with a $20-million debt to electricity supply commission Eskom. –AFP