Rutendo Nyeve, [email protected]
MORE than 80 households in Nkayi District, Matabeleland North Province, are set to benefit from the Presidential Rural Household Solarisation Programme, which was officially launched in the district on Tuesday.
The launch, held in Ward 9 and presided over by Nkayi District Development Coordinator, Mr Thulani Moyo was attended by traditional leaders, councillors, Agritex officials, heads of departments and villagers.
Under the first phase of the programme, households in Wards 9 and 22, described as the most remote in the district, will each receive a Solar Home System comprising three lights, a phone charging point and a radio.
The programme will also see solar systems installed at five business centres and 10 schools to improve service delivery.
Addressing the gathering, Mr Moyo said the launch marked the end of darkness in rural households, adding that the programme was in line with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s Vision 2030 of leaving no one and no place behind.
“We gather today not just to launch a project, but to light up Nkayi. For too long, darkness has been the definition of our rural households. Our children fail to study because there is no form of power.
Our mothers inhale smoke from firewood. Our youths cannot charge a phone to access information.
This ends today in this village,” he said.
Mr Moyo said the initiative was also aligned with the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), which prioritises access to modern energy, and Sustainable Development Goal Number 7 on affordable and clean energy for all.
He said Nkayi, situated in Region IV, receives over 300 days of sunshine per year, making solar energy a viable and abundant resource for the district.
“Solar is clean, cheap and sustainable. No monthly ZESA bill, no paraffin, no cutting down our precious Teak Forest for firewood,” he said.
The District Development Coordinator said beyond providing light, the programme would create employment by training local youths as solar technicians.
“We are not just giving lights, we are creating jobs,” he said, adding that the initiative was low-emissions development in action, as it reduces emissions from firewood while improving food and nutrition security.
Mr Moyo appealed to beneficiaries to look after the equipment, urging them not to sell the systems.
“A panel cleaned with a wet cloth lasts 20 years,” he said.
He also called on traditional leaders to ensure the most vulnerable, including child-headed and elderly-headed households, benefit first, and warned against corruption in the distribution process.
Turning to the youth, Mr Moyo urged them to stop cutting down trees in Gwampa Forest for charcoal production, saying the sun was now providing power and the forests must be protected.
He further called on the Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) not to abandon the district after the launch.
“Do not leave us after the launch. Stay for monitoring. Nkayi is ready to be a model solar district in Matabeleland North,” he said.
The Presidential Rural Household Solarisation Programme is a Government initiative aimed at improving access to clean, affordable energy in rural communities, in line with Vision 2030 and the country’s national development agenda.
The programme targets the most remote households, schools and business centres, with a strong emphasis on community ownership and local job creation.
