adminSukulwenkosi Dube
GOVERNMENT is losing millions of dollars each year to criminals that vandalise power lines, a development which is slowing down the process of electrifying rural communities.
Speaking on the sidelines of the commissioning of the Khalanyoni Electrification project at Khalanyoni Secondary School in Mangwe on Thursday, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Power Development, Mr Patson Mbiriri, said Zesa had a backlog of over 1 000 transformers.
He said instead of clearing the backlog, the power utility was pre-occupied with restoring stolen power lines.
Mr Mbiriri also noted that the funds acquired under the rural electrification fund were not being properly administered.
He said the Ministry got about $4 million to $6 million a month for the Rural Electrification Fund and the bulk of the money was being misappropriated.
“Six percent of every electricity bill paid to Zesa goes towards the rural electrification fund. It is a reasonable amount but the challenge is that this money is not being used appropriately each time it is dispersed,” he said.
Mr Mbiriri said the Joshua Mqabuko International Airport power line was recently vandalised three times in a single week. He also said the St Anne’s Brunapeg Hospital line in Mangwe District was recently vandalised and the copper line was now being replaced with an aluminium type which is costly.
“The lines are not only being vandalised but very crude ways are being used to bring down the line and the criminals are making good money out of it. The lines are cut down and rolled out in drums and tyres and taken across the border to Gauteng,” said Mr Mbiriri.
He said the process of replacing the stolen equipment took long, especially the transformers and customers blamed the service provider for power shortages and not the vandalisers.
He said instead of extending the grid and network or replacing worn out material which was disrupting power supply they had to replace stolen conductors and transformers.
Mr Mbiriri also urged rural institutions that had been electrified to fully utilise the power supply they had. He urged schools to broaden their curricula by introducing ICTs and science subjects.
He also urged health institutions to stock vaccines and medication.
“We are aware that the absence of power causes problems in the health sector such as infant mortality and the operation of other institutions. It is against this background that we are focusing on powering all rural institutions in the country,” he said.
In a speech that was read on his behalf by Mr Mbiriri, Energy and Power Development Minister Cde Dzikamai Mavhaire said significant progress had been made under the rural electrification programme as 7 903 institutions had been electrified countrywide.
He noted that the region lacked adequate generation capacity which was causing severe power shortages throughout the region.
He said to curb this, the Ministry was exploring ways of creating an enabling environment in the provision of power.
“Efforts are underway to expand existing power stations, develop new ones and promote energy conservation. There is also a need to develop decentralised energy systems based on renewable energy sources.
“It is against this that we have started a solar biogas programme,” he said.
Cde Mavhaire said 395 mini grid solar systems have been installed in rural secondary schools and rural health centres. He said 392 mobile solar units had been distributed to rural public institutions while 13 institutional biogas digesters were constructed and 28 digester units.
In 2002 Government established the Rural Electrification Fund (REF) with the specific mandate to facilitate rapid and equitable electrification of rural areas in the country.
Online Reporter