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Zimbabwe’s power utility, Zesa Holdings, has announced that Unit 8 of Hwange Thermal Power Station has been taken off the national grid due to a technical fault and will remain out of service for 10 days while restoration work is carried out.

In a statement released on Tuesday, ZESA said engineers are already working to rectify the fault and restore the unit to service as soon as possible.

“Zesa Holdings wishes to inform its valued stakeholders that Hwange Unit 8 has been taken off the grid due to a technical fault. The unit will be out of service for 10 days while restoration work is carried out,” the power utility said.

To cushion the impact of the outage, Hwange Unit 7 will remain operational, generating 335 megawatts (MW) to support national grid stability. Additionally, power generation at Kariba South Power Station has been increased, with careful management of water allocations, to help compensate for the temporary shortfall.

“We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding as we work to restore the unit to service,” said ZESA.

Meanwhile, ZESA General Manager for Stakeholder Relations, Dr George Manyaya, confirmed that Hwange Unit 6 had been successfully restored to service after maintenance.

“The unit has been synchronised to the national grid and is now fully operational, contributing to improved generation capacity. This means 150 megawatts has been restored to the national grid,” said Dr Manyaya.

He also revealed that Unit 3 is currently undergoing scheduled maintenance for 44 days and is expected to return to service in November.

“Our engineers are conducting the maintenance as planned, and we expect Unit 3 to be back on the national grid next month. We would like to express our appreciation to our stakeholders for their patience during this period,” he added.

Hwange Thermal Power Station, Zimbabwe’s largest coal-fired plant, remains a critical component of the country’s electricity generation mix, supplementing hydropower from Kariba and renewable sources in stabilising national supply.

Source – New Ziana

The post Technical fault takes Hwange Unit 8 off the grid first appeared on The Zimbabwe Mail.

HARARE – Zimbabwe has been projected to be Southern Africa’s best-performing economy in 2025, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasting an impressive six percent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth — a significant rebound as the nation pushes towards its Vision 2030 targets.

According to the latest IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings held in Washington D.C., the country’s growth trajectory is expected to rise sharply from 1.7 percent in 2024 to six percent this year, driven by strong performances across key sectors.

The IMF attributes Zimbabwe’s economic rebound to improved agricultural output, a surge in infrastructure development, recovery in manufacturing, stable exchange rates, price stability, favourable terms of trade, and rising global gold prices.

At six percent, Zimbabwe’s projected growth rate places it ahead of regional peers, including South Africa, Botswana, Zambia, Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Speaking during a media briefing following the release of the regional economic outlook, IMF African Department Director, Mr Abebe Aemro Selassie, commended Zimbabwe for its resilience and commitment to restoring macroeconomic stability despite limited access to international concessional funding.

“Zimbabwe has gone through quite a lot of challenges in recent years. What distinguishes it from other countries in the region is that it has not had access to concessional funding to the same degree as others, yet it continues to implement sound policies,” Mr Selassie said.

“It is encouraging to see the significant efforts being made in recent months to stabilise the economy and promote sustainable growth.”

The IMF also praised the fiscal and monetary reforms introduced by the Zimbabwean government, particularly measures to curb excessive central bank financing — a move seen as critical to taming inflation and stabilising the exchange rate.

“Importantly, recourse to central bank financing has diminished quite a lot, and it will be vital to sustain that momentum. This repeated reliance on central bank funding has previously caused major inflationary and exchange rate challenges,” Mr Selassie added.

“We are encouraged by the recent policy direction and progress made. Sustaining and refining these policies will be key to helping Zimbabwe move forward.”

The IMF further highlighted that Zimbabwe’s projected six percent growth rate outpaces the Sub-Saharan Africa regional average of four percent, reflecting the country’s growing economic momentum amid global recovery trends.

The Fund noted that easing geopolitical tensions, improved commodity prices, and recovery from climate-related disruptions are expected to support stronger regional and global growth throughout 2025.

Zimbabwe’s latest ranking marks a significant turnaround for the economy, which has battled inflationary pressures, currency instability, and the lingering effects of global shocks in recent years.

If sustained, analysts say the projected growth could position Zimbabwe as a key investment destination in Southern Africa and accelerate progress towards achieving Vision 2030 — the government’s roadmap for attaining upper-middle-income status.

The post IMF Ranks Zimbabwe as Southern Africa’s Best-Performing Economy for 2025 first appeared on The Zimbabwe Mail.

 

 

The trial of Tinashe Pswarayi, son of the late freedom fighter and medical practitioner Edward Munatsireyi Pswarayi, and his associate Tauya Masunda, who are facing charges of misappropriating over US$52 000 in rental income from properties belonging to the deceased’s estate, kicked off today with the complainant insisting that the pair committed an offence. The State’s chief witness and