Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve
Victoria Falls Bureau
The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company has embarked on an initiative to connect more than 300 000 households presently without power nationwide.
This programme aligns with the Government’s broader vision outlined in National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2). It will see the State-owned power utility leverage private sector partnerships to clear the electrification backlog, particularly in high-density suburbs and newly developed settlements.
The development was announced during the recently held ZETDC consultative operations and client service indaba in Victoria Falls.
Officials confirmed that reticulation works are already underway in several parts of the country, including Lobengula and Cowdray Park suburbs in Bulawayo, which have long struggled with limited electricity access.
Zesa Holdings chief executive officer Engineer Cletus Nyachowe said the power utility remains a key enabler of the Second Republic’s Vision 2030, which seeks to transform Zimbabwe into an upper-middle-income economy.
“On average, we have been connecting between 30 000 and 40 000 customers per annum, but for us to achieve NDS2, we now have to target over 300 000 customers per annum,” he said.
“This means we must work 10 times faster and smarter, deploying new strategies and deepening private sector participation. Our customer service centre officials have indicated that this target is achievable, and we will provide the necessary resources to make it happen.”
In recent years, Government has rolled out a series of interventions to accelerate national electrification, including the National Energy Compact, the Zimbabwe National Electrification Programme, and the promotion of independent power producers (IPPs), net metering and captive power generation.
These initiatives are aimed at addressing both generation and distribution bottlenecks, while expanding access in so-called “dark cities” — high-density urban and peri-urban areas that have remained without electricity years after settlement.
Energy and Power Development Minister July Moyo said front-line ZETDC staff play a critical role in translating policy into tangible benefits for communities.
“If we are going to drive NDS2 in terms of energy as an enabling environment, then we have to engage the people who are closest to our communities. As the President says, ‘no place and no one should be left behind.’ These are the people who will deliver our last-mile connections,” he said.
Minister Moyo stressed that gains in electricity generation must be matched by strengthened distribution infrastructure.
