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George Maponga Masvingo Bureau
Masvingo City Council has announced plans to partner private investors to restore its obsolete street lighting system. Only five street lights in the Central Business District are working, amid a long running feud between council and Zesa over who is responsible for their maintenance. Town clerk Mr Adolph Gusha said council had resolved to engage the private sector to revive the city’s dilapidated street lighting system.

“In the long term, we want to partner private players to run a solar-powered street lighting system, which we think would be cheaper. Once we have resolved our stand-off with Zesa, we hope to turn to solar power street lights and we will be looking for partners to do that,” he said.

Mr Gusha said the planned $4 million solar street light project with a Chinese-backed investor last year collapsed. Masvingo City had awarded the investor in question a contract to install solar-powered street lights, but the project suffered a still birth.