Energy and Power Development Minister Fortune Chasi is in South Africa to finalise a power import deal with Eskom as the Government moves to reduce power shortages.

Minister Chasi’s trip to South Africa follows discussions between President Mnangagwa and his South African counterpart President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The two leaders met on the sidelines of the African Union (AU) Extraordinary Summit on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in Niger from July 4 to 8.

Critically, the discussions came after Government paid US$10 million to Eskom, as part of efforts to address its obligations for imported power.
Minister Chasi is also expected to visit Mozambique on a similar mission.

President Mnangagwa met President Felipe Nyusi of Mozambique during the US-Africa Summit recently and discussed possibilities of increasing power imports to Zimbabwe, which is facing acute electricity challenges due to low water levels at Kariba Hydro Power Station, and aging equipment at Hwange Thermal Power Station.

Rolling power outages have seen most parts of the country going without electricity for over 12 hours.
Addressing a Press conference on the 24th Cabinet Meeting Decision Matrix yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said Minister Chasi was expected to meet his counterpart Gwede Mantashe during his visit.

“Cabinet received the weekly brief on the Energy and Power Supply Situation by the Acting Minister of Energy and Power Development, Joel Biggie Matiza,” she said.State media