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Khama Billiat’s free kick score gave Zimbabwe an early lead against Congo Brazzaville. Zimbabwe is now through to the Afcon 2019 Finals to be held in June in Egypt. Full time: 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe: 2 ( Billiat 20′, Musona 37′ ) 🇨🇬 Congo: 0 Watch video below — Pindula

EGYPT HERE WE COME Warriors qualify for AFCON for the 4th time in their history after beating Congo Brazzaville 2-nil at the national Sports Stadium in Harare this afternoon. 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe: 2 ( Billiat 20′, Musona 37′ ) 🇨🇬 Congo: 0

Source: Zesa stays ready, as Lake Kariba water drops | Sunday Mail (Business)

Golden Sibanda
Senior Business Reporter

ZESA Holdings has come up with contingency plans to forestall power supply challenges that might result from low water levels in Lake Kariba, which feeds into Kariba Power Station.

Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) — a body that superintends over management of the water resource on behalf of the Zimbabwe and Zambian governments — recently cut water allocations to the power station.

However, Zesa intends to strategically reduce electricity generation during off-peak periods (mid-morning and afternoon) in order to achieve the twin objectives of conserving the allocated water and increasing output during peak periods.

Local supplies will also be complemented by imports from Eskom of South Africa.

Zesa chief executive officer Mr Patrick Chivaura told The Sunday Mail Business on the sidelines of the 46th Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) executive meeting in Harare that the low water levels in the lake would affect power generation in the country.

“Definitely, it will have an impact because our power supply situation is dependent on availability of internal generation at Hwange Power Station, Kariba Power Station and small thermals (Bulawayo, Munyati and Harare), and, above all, imports (from the region),” said Eng Chivaura.

“In January, we were sitting at over 22 billion cubic metres of water and this was reduced by the end of January to 19 billion cubic metres.

“That translates to something like 490MW. But as of now, it has been reduced to 445MW because we were allocated 18 billion cubic metres. That is an average (power generation) figure that we are talking about.

“So, we can generate 445MW continuously, but that is not exactly what we do. We take care of our peaks (peak period of demand) during the morning and in the evening, but that (445MW) is just the average we have been given by ZRA,” he said.

Demand for power in Zimbabwe currently stands at 1 600MW at peak periods, while available generation capacity hovers just under 1 500MW.

Imports are usually used to close the gap.

However, Mozambique and South Africa, which used to provide the country with import cover, are currently facing generation and supply bottlenecks.

Kariba is Zimbabwe’s largest power station after Hwange, which has design capacity of 920MW. Currently, Hwange only generates 700MW due to aging equipment.

El Nino-induced dry spells have resulted in dropping water levels in Kariba.

Lake Kariba has a prescribed water level, which is known as the live water, below which its water cannot be used for power generation.

Power Imports

Eng Chivaura said Zimbabwe’s power imports from South Africa have been limited to 50MW from the previous 350MW.

Eskom is currently grappling with technical challenges that have adversely affected power generation.

It now depends on Mozambique, which, however, bore the brunt of Cyclone Idai, which felled a transmission line that used to feed 1 200MW to South Africa.

Eskom is currently working with the authorities in Maputo to have the critical line up and running.

Eng Chivaura said Harare has to continue to service its obligations with Eskom to ensure continued supplies.

“Imports have sustained us for the past four to five years and we have not seen load-shedding at all and the only thing that has to be maintained is meeting our obligations with Eskom.

“If we meet our obligations with Eskom, paying their bills, we will still get the support (50MW) that they have given us,” he said.

 

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Source: Council to blacklist errant churches | Sunday Mail (Local News)

Veronica Gwaze

HARARE City Council is set to blacklist churches and Muslim Centres that owe the local authority at least $10 million in rentals and lease fees, Harare Mayor Councillor Herbert Gomba revealed.

The list of 200 include established churches among them Traditional, Pentecostal, Apostolic and Muslim Sects.

Speaking at the churches and council interface in the capital last week, Councillor Gomba said the debt is contributing to derailing the local authority’s efforts of attaining a world class city status by 2025.

He added that failure by the faith based organisations to meet their financial obligations disqualify them from being considered to purchase stands in the future.

“Churches owe the council US$10 million in rentals and lease fees, we will soon name and shame them and these churches will be blacklisted because something definitely need to be done,” he said.

The economic challenges bedevilling the country have not spared faith based organisations some of whom rely heavily on offerings and contributions from their members.

Despite the erosion of the value of money in their congregants pockets, faith based organisations which are considered under charitable institutions have found themselves heavy burdened by council rents.

This, however, has not derailed the sprouting of new assemblies around the city with some taking over open spaces in the CBD. This has also raised an outcry over noise pollution in the CBD and residential areas.

Councillor Gomba cautioned churches against noise pollution, illegal assembling, parking of vehicles in front of private properties among other distractions.

Contacted for a comment some churches on the list maintained that they will not pay rents because the council has not been delivering services.

Others argued that the council is charging them commercial rates for charity work they conduct.

Harare Town Planner, Mrs Priscilla Charumbira said religious entities are obliged to pay their rent and rates.

“Churches are saying we will not pay rent because we are failing to deliver proper services, while our argument is that we are failing to deliver because we do not have resources. People are not paying rentals.

“We have over 200 churches and the land cannot accommodate all of them hence there is need to revise the standards and try to accommodate them,” she said.

Mrs Charumbira said legally registered churches should adopt sound proofing systems and as well desist from pitching tents at any open space to conduct conferences or related activities.

She warned illegal churches from operating without licenses.

The municipality has also stipulated that churches should have four hour long or less services that should not end after 7pm.

“Religious gatherings that use electronic sound systems should sound proof their buildings and those that currently hold services at home areas should make sure that their services are four hours long or less and should finish before 7:30 pm.

Zimbabwe Christian Ministers Association president, Bishop Christopher Choto religious entities are the light of the earth therefore should set a good examples.

“Eighty percent of the Zimbabwean population are Christians hence churches and council should support each other.

“We have churches drilling boreholes inside their premises and putting taps outside for the community to use.

“While yes it is noble, we are saying churches should pay rentals and acquire certificates of assembly to avoid problems with council,” he said.

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A POLICE officer based in Gokwe has been arrested after he tried to drive out a car that was kept at a police station as exhibit. Brighton Sebata (25) based at Gokwe Police Station last week appeared before Gokwe magistrate Mr Musaiona Shortgame after he tried to smuggle the vehicle that was meant to be […]