Day: March 20, 2022

HARARE, The prolonged dry spell in the lower catchment of the Kariba Dam, which straddles Zimbabwe and Zambia, resulted in a decreased inflow of water into the world’s largest man-made lake, but inflows are expected to increase during the second quarter of 2022.

In the second update for the year, on the hydrological situation at Lake Kariba, released yesterday, the chief executive officer of the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), Munyaradzi Munodawafa said, the lake level increased from 478.35 m recorded on Jan 1, 2022, before receding to 478.52 m recorded on Mar 18.

ZRA is a bi-national organisation mandated to contribute to the economic, industrial, and social development of Zimbabwe and Zambia, by obtaining the greatest possible benefits from the natural advantages the two countries decide on. The two countries run power stations on the banks of the dam wall, which were in recent years expanded by Chinese engineers to generate more power.

“The increase in the lake level at the beginning of Jan, 2022, was mainly due to sustained rainfall activity in the Kariba Lower Catchment, but the lake level then receded, due to a reduction in rainfall activity,” said Munodawafa. “During that period, the Kariba Upper Catchment that contributes the larger portion of inflows into Lake Kariba, experienced a delayed onset of rainfall activity. The lake level of 478.52 m recorded on Mar 14, 2022, meant that the lake was at 3.02 metres above the Minimum Operating Level (MOL) of 475.50 m.”

This translated into 13.66 billion cubic metres (BCM) of stored usable water, or 21.07 percent live storage available for power generation, he said.

On the same date in 2021, the lake level was higher at 481.44 m with 27.62 BCM of stored usable water or 42.62 percent of live storage, with the lake level being 5.94 m above MOL.

Munodawafa said, despite the delayed onset of rainfall activities in the Kariba Upper Catchment, the preliminary hydrological simulations undertaken by ZRA indicated that, owing to the upper catchment rainfall activity that continued to be recorded, the lake level would start increasing during the second quarter of the year.

“The simulations also indicated that the lake is likely to reach a peak of 480.30 m by June 18, 2022, which will put the lake at 4.8 m above the MOL with 22.06 BCM of stored usable water or 34 percent live storage available for power generation,” he said.

ZRA had maintained the 45 BCM of water allocated to ZESCO Limited and Zimbabwe Power Company, for their respective power generation operations at Kariba for 2022. ZESCO Limited is the state-owned power company of Zambia.

“In line with its mandate, the authority will carry out a detailed quarterly review of the hydrological outlook at Kariba, at the beginning of Apr, 2022,” he said.

Source: Nam News Network

HARARE, ZIMBABWE — Media watchdogs in southern Africa are calling on the governments of Angola, Eswatini and Zimbabwe to do more to protect press freedom following the publication of the Freedom in the World 2022 Report which says those countries are among the most oppressive authorities to media in the region.

The Media Institute of Southern Africa said it was concerned that Eswatini and Zimbabwe authorities were strangling the media as published in the recent Freedom in the World 2022 Report.

Tabani Moyo is the director of Media Institute of Southern Africa.

“Eswatini is stubborn or notorious for shutting internet twice in 2021 alone in response to protests in that country. Zimbabwe mainly not free considering issues around proposals on the regulation of the (inter)net. But also remember that Zimbabwe is in the process of introducing the amendment of the Criminal Law Codification Reforms Act which seeks to criminalize the engagement of citizens with [foreign] embassies. Angola is in election season, its behavior, we will be watching closely. But also of interest were countries that were from southern Africa in terms of internet freedom,” said Moyo.

That was reference to Angola, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

“Zambia, in 2021 August, shut down internet during elections. Zimbabwe throttled the internet during this month when political parties were starting campaigning. Then you have a little bit of progression in South Africa, which is still within the free nations. And Angola being one of the countries on the look out due to the election season. Beginning of the year, I wrote projections on state of the freedom in southern Africa, and this report tallies [with] what I projected and actually affirming projections around trends that were likely going to see in 2022,” said Moyo.

Kindness Paradza, Zimbabwe deputy information minister dismissed the report saying it is “nonsense. Who has been harassed, detained, jailed or killed in the last 12 months?” he asked.

Tafadzwa Mugwadi is from Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s ruling ZANU-PF party.

“Government has done adequate reforms to ensure that our journalists and media house continue to enjoy the space thus so far open in Zimbabwe under the second republic it is therefore mischievous, erroneous and a dangerous lie by the Freedom House to allege that there is no freedom of the media in Zimbabwe,” said Mugwadi.

When President Mnangagwa took over from the late Robert Mugabe in 2017 he promised that citizens would enjoy all freedoms enshrined in the Zimbabwe constitution. But his critics say that promise is still far from being a reality.

Source: Voice of America

Manama, Formula One champion Max Verstappen’s title defense turned into a nightmare when the Red Bull star retired near the end of the Bahrain Grand Prix on Sunday allowing Ferrari to clinch a 1-2 finish with Charles Leclerc winning ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz Jr.

Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton took an unexpected third place after Sergio Perez’s Red Bull also retired with the finish line in sight as the race finished under a yellow flag.

Hamilton had been lagging way behind in fifth when late drama on Lap 46 changed the race, reported AP.

Leclerc was leading comfortably from Verstappen when the back of Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri car caught fire forcing him to park it on the side of the track. It was quickly put out and the Frenchman walked away unharmed.

From the restart, Leclerc got away and Verstappen started complaining about steering problems.

A few minutes later both Red Bulls were out of the race and George Russell’s Mercedes moved up into fourth to give Mercedes an unexpected bonus.

Source: Bahrain News Agency