Trust Freddy
Herald Correspondent
ZIMBABWE is closing in on a full year without load-shedding, having gone 304 consecutive days without scheduled power cuts, as improved generation at Hwange Thermal Power Station and Kariba South Power Station continues to underpin electricity supply.
The country now needs just 61 more days to reach a full year without load-shedding around December 27, a historic milestone that would mark the first time in more than two decades that Zimbabwe has gone 365 consecutive days without rationing power.
Significantly, 2026 is also the only year in more than two decades in which Zimbabwe has gone through the entire winter season without a single day of load-shedding, marking a major turnaround in the country’s electricity supply situation.
The milestone comes despite recent prolonged power interruptions reported in Budiriro, Glen View, Highfield, Kuwadzana and Shamva, with some residents reporting outages lasting between four and six hours daily.
However, power utility ZESA Holdings yesterday said the interruptions were caused by faults and planned maintenance and should not be confused with load-shedding.
Responding to an inquiry from The Herald, ZESA stakeholder relations officer Ms Prisca Utete acknowledged the outages.
“ZESA acknowledges reports from residents in Budiriro, Glen View, Highfield, Kuwadzana and Shamva regarding electricity supply interruptions that reportedly began on Saturday, with outages lasting between four and six hours daily,” she said.
“We recognise the inconvenience caused by prolonged power interruptions to households, businesses and essential services, and we appreciate residents for bringing these concerns to our attention. However, Zimbabwe has gone for 304 days without load shedding. These power outages are attributed to faults and planned maintenance on our infrastructure.”
As of yesterday, the country was generating about 1 455 megawatts, with Hwange Thermal Power Station producing 994MW, Kariba South Hydropower Station contributing 415MW and independent power producers accounting for 46MW.
ZESA said the improved supply during 2026 had been supported primarily by Hwange and Kariba, supplemented by independent power producers and electricity imports, with the utility continuing to monitor plant outages and network interruptions.
But sustaining the gains could prove increasingly challenging as Zimbabwe and Zambia face the prospect of a poor rainfall season and tightening water constraints at Kariba.
The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) has approved a 23 billion cubic meter water allocation for power generation at Kariba in 2027, sharply down from the 36BCM allocated for this year.
The allocation will be shared equally between ZESCO Limited and the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), with each utility receiving 11.5BCM.
ZRA acting chief executive Mr Peter Kapinga recently said the decision was informed by forecasts of strong El Niño conditions and below-normal rainfall during the 2026/27 rainfall season, as assessed through the Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum.
The reduction represents a major constraint for Zimbabwe because Kariba South remains one of the country’s key sources of electricity.
As at October 14, ZESCO’s Kariba North Bank Power Station had a balance of 3.53BCM, representing 19.66 percent of its allocation, while ZPC’s Kariba South Power Station had 6.13BCM, or 34.09 percent, remaining.
ZESA acknowledged the potential impact of the drought on electricity generation, particularly at Kariba South, where output is directly dependent on water availability.
To protect power supplies, the utility said it was working with ZRA and ZESCO on careful management and conservation of water at Lake Kariba.
At the same time, ZESA is seeking to reduce the country’s dependence on hydropower by maximising thermal generation at Hwange through improved unit availability and prioritised maintenance.
The utility is also pursuing electricity imports through the Southern African Power Pool where feasible while promoting greater investment in solar and other independent power projects.
“While weather-related risks cannot be eliminated entirely, the combination of prudent water management, improved thermal generation, regional electricity trading, investment in alternative energy sources and efficient electricity use is intended to reduce the impact of drought-related challenges,” said ZESA.
The utility urged customers experiencing power interruptions to report them to its National Contact Centre on 704 or 0242 704040, or through WhatsApp on 0715 519387.
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