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Source: Kariba Cuts Power Generation By Half | Techunzipped News

Zambia and Zimbabwe reduced power generation to around half capacity at their power stations at the Kariba Dam as water levels in the reservoir fell, Zambia’s state-owned ZESCO Ltd said on Monday.

ZESCO spokesman Henry Kapata said power generation on both the Zambian and Zimbabwean sides had been restricted to 500 megawatts (MW) each from total capacities of around 1,000 MW.

“The Zambezi River Authority gave us an annual allocation of 19 billion cubic metres of water and this means we can only generate up to 500 megawatts each,” Kapata said, referring to the jointly owned firm which manages the Zambezi River.

A joint technical committee bulletin issued on Feb 19 by companies including power utilities in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique indicated that water levels in the Kariba Dam had dropped to 43 percent of its capacity.

“As the inflows into the Kariba and Kafue Gorge upper reservoirs are lower than the outflows, the reservoirs’ storage is decreasing,” the bulletin said

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Source: Here’s why U.S. president Trump extended sanctions against Zimbabwe by a year – CNBC Africa

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday extended by one year sanctions against Zimbabwe saying that the new government’s policies continue to pose an “unusual and extraordinary” threat to U.S. foreign policy.

The renewal comes despite calls by African leaders, including South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, for the sanctions to be lifted to give the country a chance to recover from its economic crisis.

“The actions and policies of these persons continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign policy of the United States,” Trump said in a notice announcing the extension, adding: “I am continuing for (one) year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13288.”

The renewal comes despite calls by African leaders, including South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, for the sanctions to be lifted to give the country a chance to recover from its economic crisis.

Trump administration officials had said the sanctions will remain until the government of President Emmerson Mnangagwa changes Zimbabwe’s laws restricting media freedom and allowing protests.

According to U.S. officials, there are 141 entities and individuals in Zimbabwe, including Mnangagwa and long-time former president Robert Mugabe, currently under U.S. sanctions.

Mnangagwa has called for the sanctions to be lifted against the ZANU-PF ruling party, top military figures and some government-owned firms, which were imposed during Mugabe’s rule over what the United States said were human rights violations and undermining of the democratic process.

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THE Environmental Management Agency (EMA) has ordered an Umguza-based Chinese brickmaking company to stop operations pending processing of its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) certificate. Homestead Clay, also known as Zimbabwe and China Biocheng Brick Company, has been mining clay along the Harare Road in the Umguza District without an EIA certificate, thereby violating the country’s

 The MDC standing committe is meeting today to prepare for what is turning out to be a divisive congress.