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Herald Reporter

AFRICAN countries should look inward for their sustainable development, giving particular focus to infrastructure and energy as that will ultimately lead to economic growth, President Mnangagwa has said. 

Speaking after touring two power plants in Maputo yesterday, President Mnangagwa said while Zimbabwe has been importing power since the attainment of independence in 1980, the coming in of the Second Republic has shifted focus to value addition and beneficiation using locally available resources.

Zimbabwe is rich in minerals in the form of gas in Muzarabani, platinum in Mhondoro Ngezi, coal in Hwange and water in Kariba Dam and the Zambezi River, all which can be used to generate power locally and reduce the power import bill. 

Yesterday’s tour of power plants in Maputo fits in well with the National Development Strategy 1, which envisages growing the economy through the private sector.

President Mnangagwa first visited Maputo Thermal Power Plant which generates 106 megawatts of electricity and caters for the energy needs of the southern region of the country (approximately 25 percent of the energy demands) which encompasses the city of Maputo. 

He later toured the largest manufacturer of aluminium rods in Maputo, Midal Cables Group of Companies. 

 Midal Cables’ core business is the manufacture and sale of aluminium rods for electrical and mechanical applications, aluminium wire and bare overhead conductors for power transmission and distribution. 

Midal Mozambique started its operations in late 2014 (commercial production beginning in 2015) and has recorded steady growth in production output and sales volumes since then. 

“I am happy with what I have seen and learnt here. We in Zimbabwe benefit from this plant on a daily basis. There is a serious deficit of power in the region. I hope this plant will expand the generation of power to the benefit of other countries including Zimbabwe. 

“I am proud that this plant is totally managed by our young men and women. The future of our world demands that we teach our children the use of technology in higher learning institutions and to use our local resources to grow our economies,” President Mnangagwa said. 

The President speaks to Midal Cables Group chief operations officer Mr Sunil Sharma (second from right), during a tour of the aluminium manufacturing company in Maputo yesterday. — Pictures: Tawanda Mudimu.

ZESA Holdings Executive Chairman Dr Sydney Gata bemoaned the vandalism and theft of copper wires and said as ZESA they are shifting from copper to the use of aluminium.

“Zimbabwe has lost billions of dollars through vandalism and theft of ZESA copper cables. This has derailed the development of the power generation sector. 

“Alternatively, the use of aluminium will be less expensive than copper. This makes it more desirable to use especially in large projects requiring extensive wiring and which span long distances. The cost of copper in these types of installations can easily outweigh the cost of using aluminium,” Dr Gata said. 

Earlier during the day, President Mnangagwa paid a courtesy call on the Speaker of Parliament for Mozambique, Esperanca Laurinda Francisco Nhiuane. 

“I am grateful that there is a desire to consolidate our relations. Parliament is an instrument for the development of our economies, better relations and growth from strength to strength,” he said. 

Meanwhile, President Mnangagwa, who used his visit to meet the Diaspora community here, is  expected home today.