Hundreds of industrial workers in Harare’s busy Workington area have been laid off by companies struggling to operate due to an electricity crisis that has seen the site go almost a month without power. Companies have reduced their workforce to cut down on wage bills. They have been using generators since December 28, 2022, when one of power utility ZESA’s sub-power stations blew up.
Zimbabweans have daily power outages because there is insufficient water in the Kariba dam to operate the country’s primary hydropower plant. Kariba’s water level has decreased steadily because of drought and low inflows from the Zambezi River and its tributaries.
Critics have been harsh on how the government has dealt with the energy crisis, and senior Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority officials have been accused of corruption and bad corporate governance. Meanwhile, experts say a lack of investment in renewable energy has crippled power generation.