Online Reporter
Lovemore Kadzura
Post Reporter
IN a bid to accelerate rural development and achieve Vision 2030 aspirations, Government is launching the Presidential Rural Household Solarisation Project — which seeks to connect 1,2 million rural homesteads nationwide, 25 000 of them in Manicaland, to solar energy.
The programme, designed to bridge the rural-urban divide, provides smart power to rural homesteads to alleviate poverty, enhance income generation, and improve health outcomes, is slated for launch in Ndorwe Village, Ward Seven, Mutare District, later this month.
The project, which will cost US$432 million and span six years, will see each province having 25 000 households connected to solar energy equipment, valued at US$360 per household.
In Manicaland, the annual household installation targets per district are Buhera (3 791), Chimanimani (2 316), Chipinge Rural (4 971), Makoni (4 323), Mutare Rural (4 174), Mutasa (3 009), and Nyanga (2 328).
Some remote rural areas are sparsely populated, thus the cost of local power supply or grid connection is too high, making solarisation the only viable option.
Additionally, 3 645 war veterans in the province are also expected to benefit.
Every rural homestead will receive a solar unit capable of powering a refrigerator, five lights, television, laptop, charge cellphones, and pump water from a deep well; making the project probably one of its own kind in Africa.
Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs and Devolution in the Office of the President and Cabinet will work closely with Ministers of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution in the installation of solar home systems in different rural parts of the country.
In an update on the project during the Provincial Development Committee (PDC) first quarter meeting last week, Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) Provincial Director, Engineer Robert Chawatama said war veterans, traditional leaders, child-headed families, people with disability, women and youths will get first priority.
“The goal of the project is to promote industrialisation development agenda and the realisation of the Rural Development Strategy 8.0 by creating an expansion of solar-powered infrastructure, and to build resilient communities that are not reliant on polluting energy sources, benefiting both the health of the citizenry and the environment.
“By the end of 2030, at least 1,2 million households will have benefited from the programme. From this year onwards, a minimum of 200 000 households are expected to benefit from the project annually. The total cost for solar equipment and installation per household is US$360.
“The annual target of 200 000 households translates to US$72 million per year, totalling US$432 million over six years. The provincial annual target is 25 000 households.
“Selection of beneficiaries should be done at the grassroots level and verified at district, provincial, and national levels. Priority should be given to off-grid, remote rural areas. Beneficiaries should not have access to any other energy source above 1KVA. All selected beneficiaries within a district should receive installations during the same phase. After service maintenance, beneficiaries will be responsible for the upkeep of the system after handover.
“All war veterans groupings and individual war veterans should be prioritised. Chiefs, headmen, and village heads without functional electricity connections, or those experiencing prolonged unfixed electricity faults should also receive priority consideration. Traditional leaders will be eligible for one kit per family. For child-headed families, beneficiaries should be under 18 years of age, and the ministry responsible for social development should be involved in the selection process. Women heading families, either single or widowed should also be among the beneficiaries. Additionally, youths aged between 18 and 35 years should benefit,” said Engineer Chawatama.
The programme will be implemented by four committees; Inter-Ministerial, National Steering, Provincial and District committees.
The district committee will be chaired by the District Development Coordinator and RIDA will coordinate the process.
Other members of the committee include Rural District Councils, Ministry of the Veterans of the Liberation Struggle Affairs, Rural Electrification Agency, Zimbabwe Electricity Distribution Company, Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority, Ministry of Energy and Power Development, Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Development and Vocational Training and other relevant ministries, departments and agencies.
Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) provincial vice-chairman, Cde Musindo Sendekera welcomed the programme, saying it would alleviate challenges faced by some rural families.
“We are thrilled about the introduction of this vital project. It will significantly improve the lives of our members by providing them with electricity. We express our gratitude to Government for recognising war veterans as a group requiring special attention.
“Our constituency is ageing, and these subsidies will help mitigate some of the challenges they face. We hope the project will progress swiftly, ensuring that every comrade benefits. This intervention will enable our members to engage in small-scale irrigation, earning income and achieving food security,” said Cde Sendekera.
Chief Chitsunge of Buhera said the solarisation of traditional leaders’ homesteads will enable them to promptly disseminate vital information to Government and their subjects, as the introduction of solar kits will facilitate the use of communication devices.
“We wholeheartedly welcome this project. As traditional leaders, it is essential to stay informed about national developments, but we often miss out due to the lack of electricity to power devices such as radios, televisions, and mobile phones. Traditional leaders rely on media devices that require charging, and we must maintain regular communication with other officials. Currently, we are forced to travel to shopping centres, simply to recharge our mobile phones and facilitate communication,” said Chief Chitsunge.
