Online Reporter
Tendai Gukutikwa
Mutare Bureau
POWER savings and improved service delivery are expected to flow from Government’s energy efficiency drive under the Second Republic, Permanent Secretary for Energy and Power Development, Dr Gloria Magombo, has said.
She made the remarks on Wednesday at the handover of the LED Lighting Retrofit Project at Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital in Mutare by the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA).
Dr Magombo described the development as proof that national programmes are now moving from policy to implementation.
“This project is not mainly about changing light bulbs. It is a direct, tangible implementation of our energy efficiency programme.
“With the Second Republic, it is all about implementation,” she said.
Dr Magombo said Government had shifted focus towards responsible energy consumption through the National Energy Efficiency Policy, encouraging reduced wastage and improved use.
“We are shifting from being passive consumers to becoming custodians of our energy resources,” she said.
She described energy efficiency as the country’s “first fuel”, noting that every kilowatt saved is equivalent to new power generated for productive sectors such as mining, manufacturing, education and health.
“We cannot simply rely on building new power plants alone. We must also reduce demand on the existing systems and by retrofitting facilities like this, we free up electricity for the rest of the economy,” she said.
The Ministry of Energy is working on regulations to compel large industrial users to account for their electricity consumption and adopt efficiency measures.
Dr Magombo said hospitals would benefit through reduced electricity bills and improved service delivery.
“When a hospital uses lighting that consumes far less energy than before, it saves money. Those resources can then be redirected to medicines, nurses’ welfare and other critical care resources,” she said.
Improved lighting is set to enhance the healing environment and working conditions, said Dr Magombo.
“We believe that by improving the ambience, people will heal better and morale will improve for both those caring for patients and the patients themselves,” she said.
Minister of State for Manicaland Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Advocate Misheck Mugadza, who officially commissioned the project, said the initiative demonstrated the link between energy development and improved healthcare delivery.
“We gather here not merely to switch on lights, but to witness a tangible manifestation of a Government at work,” said Advocate Mugadza.
“This project represents a critical intersection between two of our most vital sectors, energy and health,” he said.
Reliable electricity is essential for modern hospitals, including vaccine storage, operation of diagnostic equipment and lighting of theatres.
Advocate Mugadza added that by retrofitting the hospital with modern LED technology, the Government is ensuring that medical professionals working there have the best possible environment to save lives.
He also said the initiative supports Vision 2030.
“His Excellency President Emmerson Mnangagwa has set a clear mandate for Zimbabwe to become an upper-middle-income economy by 2030.
“Such an economy requires a healthy workforce and a clean economy,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of ZERA board chairperson Engineer Farai Mavhiya-Bhiza, deputy chairperson Retired Colonel Morgan Mudzinganyama said the authority remains committed to practically sustainable projects.
“As ZERA, besides regulating the energy sector, it is also our responsibility as a corporate citizen to support initiatives that minimise wastage and improve service delivery,” he said.
He said Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital is the fifth public hospital to benefit from the programme after Mpilo, Harare Children’s, Chinhoyi Provincial and Gweru Provincial hospitals.
“Our hope is to retrofit the remaining five provincial hospitals with efficient lighting technology in the next two years, in line with the President’s mantra of leaving no one and no place behind,” he said.
Retd Colonel Mudzinganyama said the Mutare project cost US$65 378 and involved the installation of 2 134 lighting units.
He said total energy consumption at the hospital is expected to decline by 12,2 percent, while demand will drop from around 160 kilowatts to about 140 kilowatts.
The hospital’s medical superintendent, Dr Hilary Makiwa, said poor lighting had previously affected service delivery, particularly at night, but the challenges had now been addressed.
