THE Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) has announced that the increase in power outages is due to a technical fault at the Hwange Thermal Power Station.

Hwange Thermal Power Station, the largest energy plant in the country, with a capacity of 920 megawatts, often experiences breakdowns due to its outdated equipment.

In a statement Wednesday, ZESA said the power crisis has also been worsened by reduced generation capacity at the Kariba Power Station due to low water levels.

"ZESA Holdings would like to advise its valued stakeholders that the national power grid is currently experiencing reduced electricity generation capacity due to a technical fault at Hwange Power Station.

"This has been further compounded by low generation capacity at Kariba Power Station, resulting from low water levels.

ZESA added: "Our technical teams are actively working to resolve the fault at Hwange to minimize the impact on our customers.

"We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused."

Less than three months ago, Hwange Thermal Power Station's Unit 8 also suffered another technical fault which led to a shortfall in electricity supply on the national grid.

In Harare, residents are enduring up to 20 hours of power cuts daily, with some suburbs going without electricity for over three days.