SIFISO SKENJANA , FOUNDER AND FINANCIAL ECONOMIST AT AFRA CONSULTANTS

Zimbabwe started implementing load shedding on Monday, after the government announced it was facing critical power shortfalls and had to introduce rotational power cuts in order to "balance the power supply available and the demand". Power utility supplier the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission & Distribution Company (ZETDC) last week said it had been forced to cut power generation at its Kariba Dam power plant due to low water levels. The dam, on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia, is only 34% full and cannot generate electricity at optimal capacity. The ZETDC said in a statement it was also facing generation constraints at Hwange Power Station, and limited imports from Eskom in South Africa and from Mozambique.