Online Reporter
The Herald, 30 December 1989
While there have been reports of better coal supplies to some coal users, there are still others who are living from hand to mouth hoping that supplies will continue to improve.
Harare Central Hospital, which in September this year was forced to perform emergency operations only, owing to a serious coal shortage as a result of the railways’ inability to move adequate supplies, now has enough for its operations.
The Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries recently said coal deliveries to consumers including agriculture and mining sectors have greatly improved. But despite the improvement in transport, Mutare Board and Paper Mills, the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority and George Elcombe coal merchants, said yesterday they were not getting enough supplies to build up stocks.
Zesa said it had just enough to get its operations going while Mutare Board and Paper Mills could close in 10 days’ time. Cde Patrick Chitaka, the acting chief executive of the mills, said yesterday that despite the NRZ’s efforts to move enough coal to consumers, his company was set to close down in 10 days’ time if it did not receive further supplies of coal.
Cde Chitaka said the company had exhausted its 40-day stockpile which it had accumulated in September and October. The mills required 30 tonnes of coal a day to produce 60 tonnes of newsprint. In November it received only 10 truckloads, and in December a total of nine were delivered, eight of them on Tuesday. Cde Chitaka said the company would depend on the eight truck- loads in the next 10 days.
The general manager of Zesa, Dr Sydney Gata, said the authority was only getting enough coal to keep its thermal power stations at Harare, Bulawayo and Munyati going without building up reserves as desired.
Dr Gata said each of the three thermal power stations had between 6000 and 7000 tonnes of coal, representing three to four days of generation. Zesa wanted stockpiles of between 25 000 and 30 000 tonnes at each of the thermal power stations.
Lessons for today:
- Even critical institutions like hospitals were affected by coal shortages. The shortage was linked to the railways’ inability to move adequate coal. Efficient transport systems are vital for economic stability and industrial operations.
- Coal shortages affected hospitals, power generation, and paper production. Energy resources are foundational, shortages ripple across multiple sectors. Industry leaders openly shared their challenges and timelines for potential shutdowns. Clear communication helps stakeholders prepare and respond to crises.
- The passage teaches the importance of logistics efficiency, resource management, strategic reserves, and proactive planning to prevent operational crises.
- Logistics plays a critical role in resource distribution because it ensures that goods and materials move efficiently from their source to the point of need. Logistics determines how quickly resources reach consumers or industries. Delays can halt production, disrupt services, and even endanger lives (as seen with hospitals in the passage)
