Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) has warned that Power generation at Kariba South Hydropower plant is likely to be closed between September and October due to the unprecedented dwindling of water at the dam.
Water levels at the dam are now at 478m, just about 3 metres above the minimum level required for power generation Kariba electricity output.
At the moment, the plant is producing only 180MW, which is not even enough to cover Harare alone.
The revelation comes at a time when the country is facing a huge power deficit that has resulted in the local power utility, ZESA, rolling out a crippling power cut schedule, locally known as load-shedding. The schedule has seen most parts of the country going without power between 0400 hours and 2200 hours daily.
Meanwhile, ageing equipment at Hwange thermal power station has also resulted in low power generation. This coupled with limited power supply from ESKOM and Hydro Cahorra Bassa of South Africa and Mozambique respectively have left the country in darkness for months now.
All sectors of the economy have hinted that the country will lose billions of foreign currency if the crisis goes unabated.
More: NewZWire