DRC denies cutting Zim power
12/06/2007 15:09  - (SA)  

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DRC cuts power supplies to Zim Zim to face huge power outages

Kinshasa - The Democratic Republic of Congo denied a report on Tuesday by Zimbabwe state media that it had cut off power supplies to the energy-starved southern African state.

"There was a problem with the line over the weekend. A cable fell. But we worked on it Saturday and Sunday," said Energy Minister Salomon Banamuhere.

"We fixed it on Sunday at around 20:00, and there is now electricity going through."

Official media in Zimbabwe reported earlier that Congo had cut electricity supply over non-payment of a $5m debt.

Zimbabwe is in the midst of an economic crisis that has produced the world's highest inflation rate of above 3 700%, unemployment of about 80% and chronic shortages of food, fuel and foreign currency.

The country has grappled with chronic power shortages in the past two years but has had severe blackouts in the past few days after some of state-owned power utility ZESA's generators broke down and it failed to buy coal for the others.

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