Zesa assures of bright festive season

ZESA Holdings has assured the nation that there will be minimal load shedding during the festive season following the rehabilitation of three units that were out of service at Kariba South Hydro Power Station.

But the power utility urged consumers to use the available electricity sparingly to reduce the effects of load shedding.

"ZESA Holdings would like to advise its valued customers countrywide that the three units that were taken out of service at Kariba South Hydro Power station to facilitate urgent dam wall rehabilitation works have since been returned to service," said ZESA in a statement yesterday.

"The return to service of the units will restore 345MW of power supply to the national grid, thus significantly reducing the power supply gap that had increased load shedding.

"Furthermore, we wish to advise all stakeholders that the rehabilitation works will be temporarily shelved until 5 January 2022.

"Accordingly, there will be minimal load shedding during the festive season, effective 16 December 2021.

"Consumers are urged to use available power sparingly to minimise effects of shedding.

"The inconvenience caused is sincerely regretted."

Some electricity generation units at Hwange and Kariba South Power stations that had been affected by technical faults last month, are back in service after endless efforts to bring normalcy.

Similarly, most units were back at Bulawayo, Munyati and Harare thermal power stations and they are already contributing to the national grid.

Consumers have been enduring more than 12 hours of load shedding, which the power utility blamed on depressed power generation capacity due to faults at some units in Hwange.