Johnson Progress

Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) has assured citizens of a stable power supply during the festive season, with no planned shutdowns anticipated.

According to ZESA Holdings General Manager George Manyanya, the power utility has implemented measures to ensure continuity of supply, building on improvements in electricity generation and distribution in 2025.

“As we enter the festive season, we want to assure our customers that there will be no planned shutdowns during this period,” Manyanya said, attributing the positive outlook to improved availability at Hwange Power Station Units 1 and 2 and Kariba Power Station, supported by independent power producers and imports from the Southern African Power Pool.

The improved power generation and supply are a result of stakeholder support and mitigation measures implemented throughout the year.

“While the year had its challenges, the support and resilience of stakeholders enabled us to implement mitigation measures that have resulted in improved power generation and supply compared to previous years,” he said.

Looking ahead to the festive period, Manyanya projected a stable power supply environment with minimal system constraints and load management.

“These interventions are expected to significantly reduce the supply shortfall,” he added.

However, Manyanya cautioned that unforeseen faults or weather-related incidents could still disrupt power supply.

“We cannot rule out emergencies arising from technical faults or weather-related incidents,” he said, assuring that technical teams would be on standby and the 24-hour national contact centre would remain operational.

The focus is on ensuring households, businesses, and critical services have power during the festive season.

“Our focus is to ensure that households, businesses and critical services have power during this important period,” he said, wishing the nation a peaceful festive season and Merry Christmas.

The improved power outlook is expected to support increased domestic tourism and national celebrations.

With the Africa Cup of Nations underway, Manyanya assured that mechanisms are in place to minimize load curtailment, allowing Zimbabweans to enjoy the tournament without power disruptions.