By Admore Mbonda in Kariba
KARIBA — Kariba South Power Station is now providing close to 45 percent of Zimbabwe’s annual electricity generation, underscoring the hydropower plant’s critical role in the country’s power security, ZESA Holdings has said.
The figures were shared during an oversight visit by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Energy and Power Development to the Kariba South facility. The visit came as Parliament praised the utility for maintaining 188 consecutive days without nationwide load shedding — a milestone that has brought relief to households and industry alike.
Hydropower: The Backbone of Zimbabwe’s Energy Mix
ZESA acting group chief executive Cletus Nyachowe, speaking through Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) acting managing director Nobert Matarutse, told lawmakers that Kariba South continues to serve major sectors including mining, manufacturing, agriculture, commercial businesses, and households.
“As a renewable energy facility, Kariba South plays a major part in meeting Zimbabwe’s energy transition goals and in supporting sustainable development and decarbonisation,” Nyachowe said.
He added that hydropower is not only important for producing electricity, but also for grid reliability. Its ability to adjust quickly to changing demand helps the system operator respond to fluctuations and disturbances more effectively.
“From a cost perspective, hydropower remains one of the most economical options within our generation portfolio,” Nyachowe said, noting that Kariba South helps restrain the overall cost burden on the Zimbabwean economy.
The Challenge of Climate Dependency
However, Nyachowe cautioned that power output at Kariba South is heavily dependent on rainfall and river inflows.
He explained that in a typical season, the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) sets aside about 40 billion cubic metres of water for power generation, shared between Zimbabwe and Zambia. During drought conditions, these allocations reduce, compelling ZESA to depend more on higher-cost generation sources.
ZESA is working closely with the ZRA to manage the shared Kariba reservoir, with water conservation identified as a key priority for sustaining long-term generation capacity.
Diversification Plans Underway
To address climate-related risks, Nyachowe said the utility is moving ahead with diversification plans, including:
Solar expansion: Development of up to 500MW of solar power across roughly 10 sites, targeting about 50MW per site
Thermal expansion: Strengthening energy supply during low water periods
Parliament Weighs In
Portfolio committee chairperson and Chinhoyi legislator Leslie Mhangwa said Parliament’s responsibility is to ensure the energy sector meets both current and future demand.
“This is not a tourist excursion. We are here because oversight is part of our core mandate,” Mhangwa said.
He also praised the utility’s operational milestone, saying: “The milestone of 188 days without load shedding is a meaningful achievement.”
However, Mhangwa urged management to give stronger recognition to the technicians and artisans maintaining the country’s power assets, as well as the teams involved in electricity transmission through ZETDC.
While supporting the proposed rollout of the 500MW solar programme, he warned against sidelining conventional baseload generation.
“We must not rush to abandon our core baseload capacity. We have those resources, and we must use them strategically,” Mhangwa said.
A Renewed Focus on Energy Security
The committee said it would take ZESA‘s submissions forward as it reviews what policy support may be required to stabilise and expand Zimbabwe’s energy sector.
For now, the 188-day milestone stands as a testament to what is possible — and a reminder of how much work remains to secure the nation’s power future.
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