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Nqobile Tshili-Bulawayo Bureau

FOR more than 10 years critical public institutions, businesses and several homesteads in Matobo District, Matabeleland South, had been cut off from electricity supplies due to vandalism and neglect in the maintenance of power transmission infrastructure.

New projects such as the Johanna Mafuyana suburb at Maphisa Growth Point, which has more than 400 houses, productive projects including mining and irrigation, and new business premises, also suffered as they could not be connected to power.

It was all smiles on Friday when the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) officially commissioned the power reconnection project to schools, clinics and business centres. Individual homesteads keen to connect power are set to benefit.

Energy and Power Development Minister, Cde Edgar Moyo, who is also a legislator for the constituency, witnessed the event that drew a lot of stakeholders at Whitewater High School.

ZETDC western region manager, Engineer Shepherd Dade, said the power utility was ashamed to have neglected its clients’ for too long and apologised to the community.

“This area has been neglected to an extent that the community did not have electricity for more than 10 years.

“I wanted to say I sincerely apologise, I thought maybe my sincerity may not come, I’m sorry Honourable Minister, I’m sorry to the whole community,” said Eng Dade.

“This area is fed from Gwanda by a 33KV line. It is 100km long. It goes to Maphisa and from Maphisa it goes to Brunapeg and the other one comes here to Nathisa. It is this mainline to Nathisa, which is approximately 60km, which has been down for more than 10 years. I’m pleased to advise that this line has been re-energised, now it has power.”

Eng Dade said in repowering the area, they also installed transformers and civil servants’ houses were also electrified in the process.

“We have done Whitewater Secondary School. It is at the end of the line. At Whitewater Secondary School we have powered three houses,” he said.

“I’m sure others will be powered before the end of this weekend. At Nathisa Business Centre we have put up a clinic and I’m sure that houses at the clinic are now on supply.”

Eng Dade said due to the crippling effect over the years, business operators at Nathisa Business Centre will need to fix electricity wiring before they are connected to the national grid. 

He said ZETDC has also connected an Econet booster in the area, which is expected to improve network connectivity in the community. 

With more funds being provided, Eng Dade said ZETDC would be in a position to power new homes at Maphisa township, which is recording phenomenal growth linked to mining operations and diaspora investments.

“There is also an issue of Garikai houses in Maphisa and of a suburb, Johanna Mafuyana, I think it has over 400 well-built houses and we are accumulating resources to electrify that area,” he said.

“I’m very confident that my executive chairman (Dr Sydney Gata) is going to fund me to the tune of US$400 000. If we get that money, we are going to give people an early Christmas.”

Eng Dade said Matobo District was not the only destination in need of urgent attention for restoration of power but all areas that had been neglected over the years.

In his remarks, Minister Moyo said the restoration of power was important for communities across the district. He said he had visited the areas with damaged infrastructure and the failure to revive it was worrying communities and short-changing business clients.

“We toured this line going to areas such as Nduna and we saw lines, which had fallen over homes, rooftops of shops and some of the poles had been eaten by termites and this is infrastructure that was bought using money but was left in the jungle to rot,” he said.

“But I’m happy, we are here today talking about it. It is not always a problem that things have not worked, but what is a problem is failure to revive the infrastructure.

“So, I’m very excited that our engineers have shown that commitment after Dr Gata said we need to attend to that.”

Minister Moyo said the power utility company has been instructed to attend to all the damaged infrastructure countrywide. He said in doing so, the power utility will be fulfilling President Mnangagwa’s vision of inclusive development where no one and no part of the country lags behind in terms of development.

“The President has been very emphatic about leaving no one and no place behind, that’s not a slogan, it is instructive, it is telling us that whatever we do, we get to every corner of this country,” said the minister.

“We are not doing this here in Matobo only as some people would want to believe. We are doing it in the whole country.”

He encouraged communities to connect to power so that ZETDC sees the benefit of supplying them with electricity through enhanced livelihoods.

“Every organisation wants to run a viable enterprise, when we have deployed electricity in our areas, the uptake must be high.

“Let’s use that electricity, let us not enjoy seeing lines over our heads. Let us connect the schools and our children can benefit from this infrastructure. Let’s learn to appreciate positive developments that come to our areas,” he said.

Zesa Holding executive chairman Dr Sydney Gata said electrification of rural areas must be buttressed by strong and viable commercial entities.

“Consultants were brought in who said you should introduce an economic load at the end of the lines so that the lines carrying more electricity makes the investment more worthwhile,” he said.

“That gave rise to a programme I need to mention, especially in Matabeleland North and South, and parts of Manicaland and Masvingo. We have a programme called ‘Electricity End User Infrastructure Development’.

“What it means is that we must try very hard that at the end of these lines, we do more than connecting the school and the headmaster’s cottage. We are looking for irrigation scheme, small businesses,” said Dr Gata.

“When you put an irrigation scheme at the end of the line, the investment becomes rewarding and financing becomes easy.”