“Under energy provision, 33.7% of the households are using grid electricity, while 28.3% are using off-grid electricity such as solar, wind and bio-gas. Ninety-one percent (91%) of the households are using clean fuels such as electricity, solar and flash lights for lighting,” said Minister Mutsvangwa.

Thousends of people in the Midlands province are benefiting from a hybrid solar PV mini-grid at St Patrick’s High School in Chiwundura that was recently commissioned by the Anglican Diocese of Central Zimbabwe. The project was completed two months ago consisting of a 157kW solar panelling and a 300 kWh battery storage system.

Government aims to drill 400 solar-powered boreholes in Matabeleland North Province by December this year, which will boost access to clean water and facilitate establishment of nutritional gardens in line with the Presidential Rural Development Programme.

The Government in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has helped to build the operational capacity at nine irrigation schemes in the Beitbridge district.

Soratek Engineering Private Ltd. is accused of trading US$12,416 on the black market. The Zimbabwe Anti-corruption Commission made investigations, which led to the arrest of the local energy company and Munyaradzi on the basis that they are not registered foreign currency dealers.

The growth of the off-grid energy sector is proving to be one of Africa’s social and economic success stories, transforming lives overnight by bringing power to low-income households and small businesses, often in remote areas with little prospect of a link to the national grid.

Nearly three quarters of the country remains stuck in the dark ages after only 20% and 40% of the country’s rural and urban areas have respectively been electrified since the country came into existence.

A constant supply of electricity at rural health centres is an effective tool in improving core components of health systems such as access to health information through electronic media, boosting the utilisation of child immunisation and maternal health services as well as ensuring uninterrupted availability of water through boreholes.