by Zivanai Dhewa

Minister of Energy and Power Development, Fortune Chasi has promised to significantly reduce load shedding during the course of this year (2020), the Harare Post reports.

The Minister said he was currently in the process of setting up a task force mandated with the task of monitoring the Ministry’s priorities and targets for power intervention measures on farms and hospitals and other critical result areas.

Minister Chasi bemoaned the vandalism of the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) infrrastructure and suggested a prohibitive mandatory sentence of thirty (30) years up from ten (10) years for the vandals..  ZESA cables, transformers and other components continue to be stolen and vandalised with illegal connections being done without ZESA approval.    

Minister Chasi further revealed that he is working with ZESA to improve communications between ZESA and its consumers and stakeholders. This follows complains that have reached Minister Chasi from the public to the effect that ZESA staff is reluctant to help them when approached.

Meanwhile, Government has set aside ZW$8.5 billion for the importation of electricity and purchase of ZESA equipment.  Minister Chasi is liaising with various solar energy investors in order to augment ZESA and save electricity for critical areas such as hospitals and farms.