Energy minister claims electricity generation will be further reduced in 2016

THE MINISTER OF ENERGY AND POWER DEVELOPMENT Samuel Undenge has said by 2016 expectations were high that electricity generation in Zimbabwe will be reduced hence the government was preparing for such eventualities.

 Speaking in parliament, Undenge said hours of load shedding have actually lessened when we compare with four weeks ago.

"We have undertaken a number of measures over the past three or four weeks ago, to ensure that hours which people are exposed to, in terms of load shedding reduced and areas which previously went for many hours without electricity, that electricity has been restored to such areas," he said.

"We are continuing with the efforts to ensure that day by day we experience less and less load shedding hours. It is an exercise which we are undertaking and I am sure everybody knows why we are in this position. It is because of the dropping water levels at the Kariba dam which are beyond any man's control. These are due to drought which was experienced in the catchment area."

He said as a Government, they have taken precautionary measures to ensure that there is electricity. We are told that the Kariba dam continues to fall, by January 2016, power generated from there is going to be further reduced.

"We are preparing for that eventuality," he said.