Just In: Zimbabwe clears ESKOM debt

The Minister of energy Advocate Fortune Chasi has announced that Zimbabwe has cleared all the debt that it owes to South Africa's power utility ESKOM. Said Chasi, “Hard to believe but ESCOM has, in fact now been paid off. 

Eskom was paid the last US$890,000.00 for imports during this week. This means Zesa can now negotiate for additional supplies if available. Attention now turns to HCB ( Mozambique).”

Hard to believe but ESCOM has, in fact now been paid off. 

Eskom was paid the last US$890,000.00 for imports during this week. This means Zesa can now negotiate for additional supplies if available. Attention now turns to HCB ( Mozambique).

— Fortune Chasi (@fortunechasi) March 30, 2020

Earlier this year Chasi told South African media that Zimbabwe has slashed its debt to power utility Eskom to  R70,56m ($4m) from $33m.”We are making payments religiously,” Chasi was quoted as saying. “We have reduced the debt to $4m or thereabouts. We are also working on further reducing our indebtedness to Mozambique.”

The southern African nation is reliant on imports from SA and Mozambique to augment power supplies. Power cuts can last up to 18 hours daily after a drought reduced Lake Kariba's water levels and frequent plant breakdowns occur at the thermal power station in Hwange.

Chasi said expansion work at the Hwange power station were facing delays due to the coronavirus, which curtailed the movement of workers from China.