Online Reporter
Raymond Jaravaza in Binga
THE long wait for power is finally over for villagers in Mabobolo, Binga District, as electricity now lights up schools, a clinic and a business centre — fulfilling a promise President Mnangagwa made two years ago.
In May 2023, President Mnangagwa commissioned classroom blocks at Mabobolo Secondary School under Chief Pashu and presided over a ground-breaking ceremony for a clinic in the same area. During that visit, he pledged that the Second Republic’s vision of “leaving no one and no place behind” would extend to the remotest corners of the country through rural electrification.
Yesterday, that promise became a reality. Energy and Power Development Minister July Moyo commissioned the US$200 000 Mabobolo Electrification Project, spearheaded by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA). The project benefitted Mabobolo Primary and Secondary Schools, a local clinic all under the Reformed Church of Zimbabwe (RCZ) and the business centre.
The project, which began in July last year and was completed on November 5, is part of the Government’s wider goal to ensure every household has access to electricity by 2030, in line with Vision 2030 and National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).
Hundreds of excited schoolchildren from the beneficiary schools gathered under two large tents as Minister Moyo officially switched on the lights. For the first time, Mabobolo pupils can use computers, study under electric light and access online learning resources — privileges once reserved for urban learners. Mabobolo Primary School head girl Fairness Mpande summed up the emotions of her peers through a poem.
“This event to us is a day our hopes are restored. The day that bridges the gap between us and the children from the city. Our dreams were limited by our surroundings, but today nothing can limit us,” she said.
Community members echoed the same sentiment. Mr Patrick Mudenda said the electrification project symbolises progress and new opportunities for the next generation. “The future looks brighter and full of possibilities. The Government’s efforts to bridge the rural divide are yielding results and the impact will be felt for generations,” he said.
Local traditional leader Chief Dobola, in whose area the project was implemented, described it as transformative.
“This is a testament to the power of change and the impact it can have on the lives of marginalised communities.
Without electricity, schools struggle to provide adequate lighting and access to digital tools, which affects academic performance,” he said.
In his keynote address, Minister Moyo said the project highlights the Government’s commitment to using technology for the socio-economic development of rural areas. “By expanding access to electricity and energy in general, we are empowering communities to participate in the digital economy, fostering economic growth and improving the overall quality of life,” he said.
Minister Moyo noted that in the past, electricity was largely concentrated in urban areas and commercial farms, leaving the majority of rural populations behind. This imbalance, he said, had stifled agricultural productivity, innovation and rural entrepreneurship.
“Villagers and smallholder farmers with a passion for production relied on rain-fed agriculture despite having water from nearby dams and rivers. Without electricity, irrigation farming remained out of reach,” he said.
According to REA, 11 159 public institutions, which include schools, clinics, chiefs’ homesteads, business centres, small-scale farms and other Government facilities, have been electrified across the district. By the end of the second quarter of 2025, REA had completed 23 out of 25 institutional solar micro-grid projects across the provinces, each generating between 10 and 15kW. These installations have benefitted schools, rural health centres, communication base stations and Government sub-offices. The commissioning ceremony in Mabobolo was attended by Government officials, representatives of the Reformed Church in Zimbabwe, local chiefs, school authorities, parents and hundreds of villagers.
