Harare – Zimbabwe is teetering on the brink of a severe energy crisis that could cripple its already fragile economy if urgent action is not taken, a recent parliamentary report has warned.
The report, tabled by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Energy and Power Development, paints a grim picture of the nation’s electricity woes, highlighting the significant challenges faced by the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) and the resulting critically low levels of electricity production.
The committee’s findings reveal a stark disparity between Zimbabwe’s installed power generation capacity and its actual output. While the country’s main power sources have a combined capacity of 2,570 megawatts (MW), they are currently producing a mere 1,079 MW, leaving a staggering deficit of 1,560 MW. To bridge this substantial gap, the national utility, the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), has been forced to rely on costly electricity imports from neighbouring countries.
The portfolio committee cautioned that the situation could deteriorate even further if medium and long-term solutions are not implemented with urgency.
“However, in as much as the transmission and distribution lines are functioning well, ZESA management highlighted that Zimbabwe is still facing serious power outages because the distribution supply of electricity is not meeting the nations demand,” the report stated. “The committee noted that the major challenge is of all power plants are not producing their optimum capacity.”
The committee further emphasised the severity of the situation, stating: “The committee cited that considering the state we are in as a country, if there are no strategies that are going to be implemented sooner to boost generation, the nation will be suffering for a long haul.”
ZESA has attributed the shortfall to a confluence of factors, including outdated power infrastructure, the adverse impacts of climate change, and the persistent theft and vandalism of power lines and substations.
The consequences of this low power generation are already being felt across the country, with widespread load-shedding becoming a daily reality for many Zimbabweans. Residential areas are routinely subjected to power cuts lasting more than 12 hours, disrupting daily life and hindering economic activity.
The electricity crisis is not merely an inconvenience; it has far-reaching implications for key sectors of the economy, particularly healthcare. Speaking in Parliament recently, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Member of Parliament, Ropafadzo Makumire, highlighted the critical impact on healthcare services.
“In the health sector, you find that there are machines like ventilators which use electricity. It means that in the district hospitals where there are no dedicated lines, there will be no electricity,” Makumire explained. “So, major surgical operations cannot go ahead in this state. It means that people die because of lack of electricity and people who will be forced to walk for long distances are brought here in Harare.”
Makumire further emphasised the strain on healthcare facilities, stating: “This then increases the number of people being assisted. If you look at the mortuaries where these bodies are placed, you find that it is not accessible because the bodies will be in a decomposing state. This matter should be looked at with urgency so that we do not continue with this predicament.”
The parliamentary report and Makumire’s impassioned plea underscore the urgent need for the government to prioritise addressing Zimbabwe’s energy crisis. Failure to do so risks plunging the nation into a deeper economic abyss, with dire consequences for its citizens and its future prospects.
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