‘All rural communities to be electrified by 2030’

Tawanda Mangoma in Chiredzi
The Rural Electrification Fund introduced in 2012 was President Mugabe’s vision of correcting colonial imbalances that had been created by white colonialists, Energy and Power Development Minister Samuel Undenge has said.

Addressing villagers at the official switching-on of electricity at Malipati Secondary School in Chiredzi South constituency, Minister Undenge said all rural communities in Zimbabwe would be electrified by the year 2030.

The Fund has seen the electrification of 52 percent of the schools, clinics and rural health centres.

The programme has benefited 292 primary schools, 201 secondary schools, 351 rural health centres, 171 business centres and 166 village homes.

“The main reason why President Mugabe decided to launch the Rural Electrification Fund was to have everyone connected by 2030.

“He had observed that whites had a habit of having power at their farmhouses while denying thousands of villagers who stayed at their farms or in villages to which the grid passed through,” he said.

Minister Undenge said Government’s priority was to bring electrical power to rural communities.

Since 2002, the Rural Electrification Program has electrified 8 928 rural institutions across Zimbabwe.

The 21.9km single phase line which was constructed at a cost of $327 000 in Malipati uses a modern technology called Single Wire Earth Return and uses one wire instead of the traditional three hence saving money.

The electricity will now cover Malipati Business Centre, clinic, Malipati primary and secondary schools.

The power would also cover surrounding communities.

Minister Undenge, however, noted that the Rural Electrification Programme has suffered economic challenges facing the country.

“The major challenge faced by the Rural Electrification Fund is inadequate funding for the programme. The six percent Electrification Levy that REF gets through electricity sales and fiscal allocation by Government are not adequate to accelerate the programme or to sustain the momentum already gained by the programme,” he said.

Chiredzi South Member of Parliament Brigadier General (Rtd.) Kalisto Gwanetsa said the electrical power at Malipati is a welcome development for the marginalised Sengwe communal lands.