Africa Briefs

Zim warns of power cuts as dam levels fallZimbabwe's state-owned power utility yesterday warned it may ration electricity supplies as low water levels reduce output from its biggest hydro plant, while ageing coal-fired generators are shuttered or running at reduced capacity.The country, which experienced its worst power shortages in 2016 following a devastating drought, was producing 915 MW yesterday against peak demand of 2 100 MW.Kariba Power Station, which is already operating at half capacity, will reduce generation further to 358 MW from 542 MW, Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) said in a statement, as a drought reduces water levels at the dam that feeds the plant.As Zimbabwe enters its peak winter power demand season, ZETDC told companies and private households to reduce electricity consumption, especially during periods of high demand.Some residents in the capital Harare reported that they had already been experiencing power cuts, known locally as load shedding, since the beginning of this week.The utility said generation at Hwange, its biggest coal-fired station, as well as three smaller plants remained fragile due to the age of the facilities. – Nampa/ReutersKenya to upgrade old rail track to deliver Uganda linkKenya plans to modernise an old railway track to link a newer line to neighbouring Uganda at a cost of US$210 million, with funding from an unidentified private backer rather than building another modern one with Chinese money.The development of Kenya's railways has been part of China's One Belt, One Road initiative, a multi-billion US dollar series of infrastructure projects upgrading land and maritime trade routes between China and Europe, Asia and Africa.Kenya opened a modern railway linking the port of Mombasa with the capital Nairobi in 2017 at a cost of US$3.2 billion. This was then linked with another new line, costing US$1.5 billion and also funded by Chinese loans, to Naivasha in the Rift Valley.The Nairobi-Naivasha standard gauge rail (SGR) line, will be opened in August but does not yet extend to Uganda.Critics say Kenya is saddling future generations with debt from China, while the government says borrowing to build the infrastructure will spur economic development. – Nampa/ReutersEgypt spent billions on fuel subsidiesEgypt spent 60.1 billion Egyptian pounds (US$3.51 bln) on fuel subsidies in the first nine months of the 2018/19 financial year, petroleum minister Tarek El Molla Has said, a drop of 28.45% from the same period the previous year.Egypt has been reducing fuel subsidies as part of an IMF-backed reform programme that began in 2016, and is due to remove subsidies on most energy products by June.The government spent 84 billion Egyptian pounds on fuel subsidies in the first nine months of the 2017/18 financial year. The financial year runs from July to June. – Nampa/ReutersIMF praises Congo efforts at debt consolidationCongo Republic's restructuring deal with China will be decisive in restoring sustainable debt, especially when combined with recent cautious fiscal measures and renegotiations with private creditors, the IMF mission chief said on Wednesday."Congo's case is solid and is going to enable the IMF to move quickly towards a programme," mission chief Alex Segura-Ubiergo said after a meeting between the International Monetary Fund delegation and president Denis Sassou Nguesso. – Nampa/Reuters

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-31

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Namibian Sun 2025-03-31

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