Online Reporter
Nqobile Bhebhe, Senior Features Writer
CHEERS erupted in Majindane long before the ceremonial switch was flipped.
Children sang, villagers ululated and community leaders applauded as electricity was connected to Majindane Primary School, Nyamandlovu in Umguza District, Matabeleland North Province recently. For many villagers, this occasion signified much more than just the commissioning of a power line.
It marked the end of years of waiting and the beginning of a new chapter of opportunity, development and hope.
As night descended the previous evening, electric lights illuminated the school grounds for the first time, offering a glimpse into a long-anticipated future for the community.
The excitement surrounding the switch-on ceremony mirrored a broader transformation in Matabeleland North Province, where access to electricity is becoming a vital catalyst for social and economic development.
Across the province, communities that once operated without reliable energy are being connected to the national grid, enabling improvements in education, healthcare, agriculture and business.
What is emerging is a compelling story of rural renewal under the Second Republic, with electricity serving as one of the key drivers of inclusive development and improved livelihoods.
For decades, limited access to electricity constrained growth in many rural communities.
Schools struggled to embrace information technology, health institutions operated under difficult conditions and business opportunities remained restricted.
Today, that reality is steadily changing.
The Government, through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), has intensified efforts to expand access to electricity in rural areas, bringing modern energy services closer to communities that were previously beyond the reach of conventional infrastructure.
The impact is becoming increasingly visible throughout Matabeleland North.
The electrification of Majindane Primary School is more than the extension of power lines.
It represents access to digital learning, improved water supply through powered boreholes, enhanced security and expanded business opportunities.
The project forms part of a wider electrification programme being rolled out throughout Umguza District and other parts of Matabeleland North.
Statistics from REA indicate that as of 12 June, 2026, Umguza District had electrified 139 institutions, including schools, clinics, business centres, Government extension offices, villages and small-scale farms.
Only 15 institutions remained outstanding, while one clinic project was still under construction.
In the district alone, 44 primary schools, 14 secondary schools, eight clinics, six business centres and three traditional leaders’ homesteads have already been connected to electricity.
While these figures highlight the scale of investment, the true measure of success lies in the lives being transformed.
At Majindane Primary School, teachers believe electrification will significantly improve learning conditions while making rural postings more attractive to educators.
School head Mr Edward Tshuma described the development as a milestone that would transform teaching and learning.
“The installation of electricity at Majindane Primary School is a great milestone in terms of development. The children will benefit through the introduction of computers and evening lessons. Teaching will become easier,” he said.
Mr Tshuma said the school also plans to utilise electricity at the community borehole to establish a school garden that will benefit learners and improve nutrition.
He added that the school had previously considered introducing after-hours learning programmes for young people in the area, but this had not been possible without electricity.
Majindane Primary School has an enrolment of 105 learners and six teachers.
The availability of electricity is expected to improve accommodation facilities, enhance security and create a more conducive environment for teaching and learning.
For learners, the arrival of electricity is opening doors to opportunities that were previously beyond reach.
“As a student from this area, I am excited that we can now learn using computers since we now have electricity. We are confident computers will be donated to the school,” said one learner.
Access to computers and other digital learning tools is expected to help bridge the gap between rural and urban schools, ensuring that learners are better prepared for an increasingly technology-driven world.
Recognising the importance of digital inclusion, Energy and Power Development Minister July Moyo pledged to mobilise additional computers and internet connectivity for the school.
The commitment was made during the handover of a computer donated by the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA).
Minister Moyo said the donation marked the beginning of a broader digital transformation programme for the school.
“This is the beginning of what we think will be the digital transformation of this school by making sure that these children, young as they are, should start learning computers,” he said.
Minister Moyo said efforts would now focus on securing additional computers and internet services.
“We also know that with active Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution for Matabeleland North Richard Moyo, together we will ask the Minister of ICT to bring more computers and Internet so that this school really gets transformed and it becomes an example of what the President wants to do in every community in Zimbabwe,” said Minister Moyo.
Beyond education, electrification is increasingly reshaping local economies.
Business centres that once relied on generators or operated only during daylight hours are steadily becoming hubs of economic activity.
Community members are establishing welding workshops, carpentry businesses, tailoring enterprises and other small industries that create employment and generate income within local communities.
The availability of electricity is expected to reduce operating costs while enabling entrepreneurs to expand their businesses.
Businesswoman Mrs Mercy Mpofu welcomed the development, saying it would significantly reduce expenses associated with running her enterprise.
“We are so excited that we now have electricity. We were using gas, and it is expensive for us in terms of cost, transportation and the dangers associated with transporting it from Bulawayo,” she said.
“I look forward to expanding the business. Security around the premises is now enhanced.”
The Majindane project involved the construction of eight kilometres of power lines supplying electricity to the school, three business premises and a community borehole.
For the youth, the growth of such enterprises is creating opportunities closer to home and reducing the need to migrate in search of employment.
The electrification programme is therefore doing far more than powering institutions.
It is laying the foundation for rural industrialisation by providing communities with the infrastructure necessary to participate meaningfully in economic development and value addition.
The benefits are also extending into agriculture, a sector that remains central to Matabeleland North’s economy.
Access to reliable energy is expected to support irrigation development, enabling farmers to produce crops throughout the year and reducing dependence on rainfall.
The expansion of irrigation infrastructure will improve food security while creating opportunities for increased commercial agricultural production.
This is particularly significant in Matabeleland North, where recurrent droughts have often undermined agricultural productivity.
Reliable energy is helping communities build resilience against climate-related challenges while improving household incomes.
REA, which is implementing the programme, is pursuing an ambitious target of achieving universal access to modern energy services in rural Zimbabwe by 2030.
To achieve this objective, the agency is leveraging a combination of grid electricity, solar energy and biogas technologies to ensure that even remote communities benefit from modern energy solutions.
Minister Moyo said REA had become a beacon of hope for many rural communities through its commitment to expanding access to modern energy.
Government has also set a target of electrifying all schools and clinics by the end of 2026, a move expected to significantly improve service delivery in rural areas.
Acting REA board chairperson Mrs Cecilia Chitiyo said the agency had remained focused on its mandate since its establishment in 2002.
“Guided by the National Development Strategy 2 and the Rural Energy Master Plan, and with the level of commitment displayed by our staff over the years, it is our hope that we will be able to accelerate the provision of energy to all rural households in Zimbabwe using both grid and off-grid technologies as we contribute towards the attainment of Vision 2030,” she said.
Mrs Chitiyo said REA was also prioritising the construction of biogas digesters and the deployment of renewable energy technologies to support rural industrialisation, irrigation development and improved livelihoods.
For communities such as Majindane, the benefits of electrification are already becoming evident.
The joy and excitement that characterised the switch-on ceremony reflected more than appreciation for a new infrastructure project. It reflected the aspirations of learners eager to embrace digital education, entrepreneurs seeking new opportunities and families striving for improved living standards.
As power lines continue to stretch across Matabeleland North and more institutions gain access to electricity, the province is witnessing a transformation whose impact will be felt for generations.
From classrooms and clinics to businesses and irrigated fields, electricity is proving to be a powerful enabler of development and a cornerstone of Zimbabwe’s rural modernisation agenda.
