Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve, [email protected]
VICE President Constantino Chiwenga has praised the SADC regional bloc for uniting behind efforts to accelerate renewable energy development, describing energy as the essential enabler of all economic activity.
He made the remarks in Victoria Falls yesterday after touring exhibition stands at the ongoing 2026 SADC Sustainable Energy Week (SEW).
The five day event, running from February 23 to 27, has drawn energy stakeholders from across the 16 member bloc under the theme: “Driving Regional Economic Growth Through Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency”.
VP Chiwenga will preside over the official opening ceremony of the high level gathering today, where he is expected to deliver the keynote address to SADC Energy Ministers and international delegates.
The SADC Sustainable Energy Week, endorsed by regional Energy Ministers, is the bloc’s premier annual platform for advancing investment, co-operation and knowledge sharing in sustainable energy. It is being jointly hosted by Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Energy and Power Development, the SADC Secretariat and the SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE).
Following his tour of the exhibition pavilion, where he met innovators and energy solution providers, the Vice President expressed satisfaction with the level of regional collaboration and the quality of innovations on display, particularly those from institutions of higher learning.
“You are aware of what is happening right now, we are going into the fourth industrial revolution. We know we had the first industrial revolution, which was done by the Europeans on their own, but this fourth industrial revolution requires everyone and Africa cannot be left behind, and more importantly southern Africa cannot be left behind,” said VP Chiwenga.
“We are the owners of all the God given resources and we need those resources now to turn them if we are to have meaningful economic growth. Now, what we are seeing here both from the green energy right up to now, which we think is going to be realised. What it means is that the major enabler for any economic growth is now real.”
The Vice President underscored the fundamental role of energy in the economy, saying there remained widespread misconceptions about its nature.
“A lot of people make mistakes that energy is one of the economic products, but no, it’s an enabler for any activity to take place. Be it in industry, be it in agriculture, be it in mining, you need energy and so it is an enabler.
“What we have seen here being displayed, and some ideas even coming from our institutions of higher learning, is quite encouraging.
“There is a lot of innovation, which is taking place across the board and more importantly, it is the region, which has now come together to say let’s put our minds together, let’s see how we can generate energy for ourselves and how we can then eventually distribute it across the countries for economic growth,” he said.
This year’s programme includes several first time features, among them progress updates on National Energy Compacts and Strategies, as well as an awards ceremony recognising outstanding regional projects.
The event also features ministerial plenaries, business to business engagements, technical presentations and a dedicated women in energy forum.
The SADC region continues to face energy access constraints, and the Sustainable Energy Week provides a vital platform for policymakers, utilities, regulators, private sector players, financiers and development partners to develop pathways toward sustainable energy solutions that can drive industrialisation and economic growth.
