eBusiness Weekly
HARARE – Preliminary works on the 2 400 megawatt Batoka Gorge hydro-electric power plant will start in January next year as Zimbabwe moves to become energy self-sufficient, a Cabinet Minister said on Tuesday.
The $5.2 billion plant, which will be situated a few kilometres downstream the Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River, will be a joint venture between Zimbabwe and Zambia who will share the electricity equally.
Zimbabwe is currently producing about 1 300 megawatts against a demand of over 2 000 megawatts, and relies on regional imports to cover the deficit.
In a post Cabinet briefing, Acting Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Mangaliso Ndlovu said the project would start soon.
“Cabinet received a report from the Minister of Energy and Power Development on progress made towards the operationalization of the Batoka Hydro-Electric power project,” he said.
“More specifically, Cabinet was advised that following a recent visit, delegations from China Power and General Electric, contractors on the project, preliminary works on the project were now scheduled to start in January, 2019.”
Meanwhile, Ndlovu said Cabinet had also received a progress report by the Minister of Finance and Economic Development on parastatal reform.
Government has earmarked 43 public enterprises for restructuring, partial privatisation, departmentalisation and performance review.
“Cabinet noted with satisfaction the considerable progress already registered with the various entities now at different stages of their reformation,” he said.
“Cabinet resolved to consider in greater detail submissions on two public enterprises at each meeting with effect from next week. More specifically at its next meeting Cabinet will consider detailed submissions on the resuscitation of Zisco Steel and the partial privatisation of Chemplex Corporation.”
He said Cabinet had also approved various priority projects under the 100 day programme.
These, he said, included, an accelerated national solid waste management project, strengthening small scale miners’ capacity to comply with environmental regulations to be implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education will implement the provision of science teaching and learning materials in primary schools and construction of additional learning facilities in schools, among other projects.
The Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare will review and integrate the Basic Education Assistance Module, social cash transfer, health assistance, public assistance and food mitigation programmes within a single management information system. – New Ziana