Zimbabwe seeks energy deal with South Africa

Government has covered significant ground towards striking a framework agreement with South Africa for deeper cooperation on a number of energy related issues.

Energy and Power Development secretary Patson Mbiriri said the country already imports significant amounts of electricity from South African state power utility Eskom and uses the country's Durban port to import some of its fuels, as an alternative fuel import route to the Feruka Pipeline.

The parties contend that a memorandum of understanding will extend the scope of their collaboration in the field of energy, including in basic infrastructure to enable sharing of the commodity, which is in critical short supply in the region.

But Mbiriri said although the two countries had cordial relations and already cooperated in the area of energy, absence of a framework agreement limited the extent to which they can do it.

He said Zimbabwe has a lot to learn from South Africa with regards to renewable energy, which it is trying to promote, as one of the sustainable solutions to its acute shortage of power.