ZIMBABWE’S Energy and Power Development Minister Elias Mudzuri has ‘reversed a directive’ that the country’s power utility, Zesa, should stop electricity exports to Namibia, the state-owned Herald reported yesterday.
The daily quoted Deputy Minister Hubert Nyanhongo as saying that Zesa has the capacity to produce enough energy to supply Zimbabwe and its neighbours if Hwange Thermal Power Station is fully operational.Hwange Thermal Power Station has a capacity to produce over 700 megawatts, but at present is generating between 180 and 200 megawatts, The Herald said.’However, he said this did not mean Zimbabwe would not honour its obligations to export 150 megawatts to Namibia,’ the paper said.NamPower loaned Zesa US$40 million, nearly N$300 million, for the refurbishment of Hwange in 2007, and in return concluded a power purchasing agreement (PPA) for 150 megawatts for five years.’This agreement came at a time when Zimbabwe had no one to lean on and it was only Namibia which came to our aid,’ The Herald quoted Nyanhongo .’Energy and Power Development Minister Elias Mudzuri recently directed Zesa to stop power exports to Namibia. He, however, reversed the directive a week later,’ the paper said.Mudzuri, a Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) minister, told ZimOnline in an interview last week that he had ordered Zesa to only supply electricity to NamPower from Hwange, and to no longer export it from other sources if Hwange was running short. He expressed the same sentiments to The Namibian in two separate telephonic interviews last week.The Herald too interviewed Mudzuri on the issue last week. They quoted him as saying: ‘That deal was for Hwange only and Zesa should be able to say to them ‘We cannot supply you with electricity if Hwange is down’. We have to give them electricity from Hwange.’Yesterday the government mouthpiece quoted energy experts saying the initial directive ‘had sent the wrong signals to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and investors seeking to work with Zimbabwe.’It’s a case of biting the hand that feeds you. Zimbabwe is working towards expanding its power generation through public-private partnerships, independent power producers and power purchase agreements.’But if we call for such action we are actually destroying all these moves. Government should show predictability and continuity in their policies for such agreements to prosper,’ The Herald wrote.Mudzuri has since said that Zimbabwe is committed to honouring its obligations to Namibia.The Herald also reported that Zimbabwe and Zambia will early next month convene a council of ministers meeting to pave way for the Batoka hydro-electric power project. The Batoka project is set to increase electricity supply in the two countries’ national grids by 800 megawatts each.In an interview, Secretary for Energy and Power Development Justin Mupamhanga told the paper that Zambia would host the meeting on February 5.Mupamhanga also said Zimbabwe has started discussions with other Southern African countries to enhance power and energy sectors in the country.Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia are discussing a project to interconnect their transmission infrastructure to ease power sharing between the countries, he said.’Government sources recently revealed that the discussions between Zimbabwe and its neighbours were part of SADC pledges to assist Zimbabwe in its turn-around efforts,’ The Herald said.jo-mare@namibian.com.na
