The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) denied a report on Tuesday by Zimbabwe state media that it had cut off power supplies to the energy starved Southern African state.
”There was a problem with the line over the weekend. A cable fell. But we worked on it Saturday and Sunday,” Energy Minister Salomon Banamuhere told Reuters. ”We fixed it on Sunday and there is now electricity going through.”
Official media in Zimbabwe reported earlier that the DRC had cut electricity supply over non-payment of a $5-million debt.
Zimbabwe is in the midst of an economic crisis that has produced the world’s highest inflation rate of above 3 700%, unemployment of about 80% and chronic shortages of food, fuel and foreign currency.
The country has grappled with chronic power shortages over the last two years but has suffered severe power failures in the last few days after some of state-owned power utility Zesa’s generators broke down and it failed to buy coal for the others. — Reuters