Business in Zimbabwe is worried after the power distribution company, Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), announced that it will continue with the roll-out of daily 12-hour power cuts due to limited generation at its thermal plant. The Zimbabwean power utility says repairs on the dam at Kariba Hydro Power Station have compounded its challenges. The country's Chamber of Commerce says these outages continue to cripple an already battered economy.

The load shedding is being implemented countrywide, and it includes industrial areas as well as agriculture. The load shedding is expected to be particularly painful for wheat farmers, who are currently irrigating their crops. Will Zimbabwe ever get over its economic woes?

Guinea

An elite Special Forces unit stormed the presidential palace in the capital, Conakry, detaining the 83-year-old president Alpha Conde. Hours later, coup leader Colonel Mamady Doumbouya appeared on state broadcaster Radio Television Guineenne, introducing himself the country’s new leader of Guinea. Are we seeing a trend of coups in former French colonies?  

 

Title:                    [• Mr.]   

Name:                [• Nixon Katembo]

Position at organisation:  [•  African Affairs analyst at Channel Africa]