/ 11 September 2007

Mozambique boosts power supply to struggling Zim

Mozambique has doubled power supplies to its neighbour, Zimbabwe, which has been hit by massive power cuts, news reports said on Tuesday.

The new deal came although Zimbabwe power company Zesa Holdings, which earlier this year declared itself broke, has an outstanding $20-million debt with Mozambican power supplier HCB, the government mouthpiece Herald newspaper said.

”We negotiated with them [HCB], and they understood our plight,” Zesa chief executive Ben Rafemoyo said.

”They really responded positively and decided to add 150MW to what we have been getting,” he said at a time when the whole Southern African region is suffering power shortages.

Zimbabwe depends on imports from neighbours like Mozambique, Zambia and South Africa to supply 35% of its power needs.

Towns and cities throughout Zimbabwe have for the past few months been experiencing power cuts that last up to 15 hours a day.

The country’s wheat crop, which is due to be harvested at the end of October, was expected to be the lowest in years because of shortages of power needed to irrigate it. — Sapa