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Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief
ABOUT 60 percent of Zimbabweans have no access to electricity as the country struggles to meet the ever-increasing demand for power.
In her keynote address at the renewable energy policy development workshop in Gweru on Thursday, the Deputy Minister of Energy and Power Development, Cde Tsitsi Muzenda, said only 40 percent of the country’s population has access to electricity.
Cde Muzenda said the majority of people in the country were still using traditional sources of energy such as firewood for cooking.
She said more needs to be done to avail electricity to everyone for greater socio-economic development.
“It is sad to note that only 40 percent of the country’s population has access to electricity. Sixty percent have no access to electricity which plays a significant role in socio-economic development,” said Cde Muzenda.
She said in light of that, Government was working to have a renewable energy policy whose objectives include increasing access to affordable energy to all Zimbabweans, contribute to the eradication of poverty and reduce the country’s heavy dependence on energy imports.
The deputy minister said the holding of the energy workshop in Gweru was a welcome development for the country as investors and interested stakeholders would take advantage of the policy framework to ensure that there is universal access to energy within a reasonable timeframe.
Cde Muzenda said the country has been facing an electricity deficit because of the increase in demand for energy and ageing infrastructure.
Zimbabwe, she said, has an internal generating capacity of 1 100 megawatts against a suppressed peak demand of 1 400MW.
“The shortfall has prompted the government to import power from Eskom of South Africa and Hydro Cahora Bassa of Mozambique. This has led to an undesirable import bill as well as compromising the security of energy supply,” the deputy Minister said.
Cde Muzenda said in 2012, her ministry produced a National Energy Policy as a way of encouraging investment in the energy sector.
She said after noticing the slow development of power generation projects by the private sector, her ministry is developing an Independent Power Producer (IPP) framework aimed at addressing some challenges being faced.
“A national integrated energy plan is also being developed to provide a long term plan for the exploitation of the various energy resources our country is endowed with,” Cde Muzenda said adding that the final draft should be ready in two months’ time.
— @pchitumba1
Online Reporter