adminregional pilot Single Wire Earth Return (Swer) project in Chief Nyamukoho’s village.
The project is being piloted in Mudzi district by the Power Institute for East and Southern Africa (PIESA), which brings together 10 countries from the East and Southern Africa.
The electrification method uses a single wire and reduces the amount of materials used.
For example when electrifying a 32km stretch only one wire would be used implying that only 32km of wire would be used as opposed to using three strands which come up to 96km of wire. The electrification involves putting the single line from Suswe to Benson Mine, a distance of 32km.
Communities along the 32km stretch would also draw electricity from the main line.
Matters came to a head when REA, which is implementing the project failed to honour its pledge to employ locals as general labourers.
Chief Nyamukoho protested and stopped the project demanding that the commitment to employ locals be fulfilled.
REA public relations manager Mr Johannes Nyamayedenga refused to comment on the matter saying his boss who was supposed to clear him to speak to the press was in Senegal.
“Wait until my boss returns. He will be back next week (Monday)”, he said.
A recent visit to the area showed that work had stalled, with the few workmen around confirming they had been stopped for two weeks following demands by Chief Nyamukoho to have his people employed.
Chief Nyamukoho confirmed stopping the project and accused the implementers of corruption.
He said he wanted his people to benefit from the electrification of their communities but was not happy with the manner the project was being implemented.
“I am not happy because for anything to be successful, procedure should be followed.
“People have to abide by the agreements they made. My people are being turned against me.
“They are being made to believe that an outsider is right and I am wrong.
“I do not believe in corruption. I detest corruption.
“It was agreed that there would be no importation of labour for non technical jobs,” he said.
Chief Nyamukoho said his people should have been given the job to dig holes to install the power poles and fit the poles.
“My people should have derived economic benefit and be able to buy food. This is a drought area. We have very poor rains,” he said.
He said REA had brought in 50 people from outside his area.
Many people confirmed that only five people from the local community were employed under the project.
Online Reporter