Staff Reporter

Government is committed to providing adequate energy sources and is ready to provide affordable and environment friendly energy in line with Vision 2030.

This was said by President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday in a speech read on his behalf by Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister, Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, at the launch of the Centragrid Solar Power Plant in Nyabira, Mashonaland West Province.

“This occasion symbolises the implementation of the projects as planned in the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and is a step towards the realisation of our Vision 2030 of attaining a middle income status. The provision of adequate sources of energy will be central to the achievement of this goal. The Government of Zimbabwe has demonstrated its untiring efforts to provide affordable and environment-friendly energy in line with Vision 2030.This signifies Government’s broad willingness to shift boundaries in the promotion of renewable energy,” said the President.

The President added that the implementation of NDS1 programmes and projects should be underpinned by well-thought out policies such as the Renewable Energy Policy launched in 2019, whose main objective is to create an enabling environment for investment in the sector.

President Mnangagwa commended the joint venture between Centragrid, National Social Security Authority (NSSA) and Old Mutual and said that such joint ventures blend well with Government’s efforts of turning the tide against unemployment among the youth, poverty and inequality.

The President added that it was critical to invest in renewable energy in order to improve energy productivity and ensure modern energy for all so that the country could achieve Social Development Goal 7 of providing clean and affordable energy by 2030. He encouraged local companies to invest in the energy sector as it was difficult to secure offshore funding because of the illegal sanctions imposed on the country.

The launched project is expected to take between 9 and 12 months to complete and NSSA is expected to invest US$8 million into the project, while Old Mutual will provide US$22 million in the form of equity and debt.