The Minister of Energy and Power Development, Hon. July Moyo, has highlighted the pressing challenges facing Zimbabwe’s power generation and transmission systems, calling for urgent interventions to meet the country’s developmental goals and ensure inclusive access to electricity.
Speaking on the state of the energy sector, Minister Moyo acknowledged that while progress has been made in energy generation, significant gaps remain in transmission, distribution, and rural electrification. He noted that the Rural Electrification Fund, financed by levies from electricity consumers, currently stands at 6%, but its impact has been limited due to the scale of demand across underserved areas.
“Our rural electrification programme is not moving fast enough to catch up with the needs. Over 600,000 households, including those in business centres, growth points, and towns, up to cities like Harare and Mutare, still lack access to electricity,” the Minister stated.
He emphasized that the country’s National Energy Compact is designed to respond to this challenge, aligning with Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, which aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
Minister Moyo expressed confidence in the compact’s potential to be achieved despite its ambitious targets, citing thorough analysis and data-driven planning. “We now understand the network area by area, station by station, and we are clear on what is needed where,” he said.
However, he pointed out that aging infrastructure across the transmission and distribution networks remains a critical bottleneck. “Before we even talk about expansion, we must address the deterioration of our existing networks. Our infrastructure is old and constrained,” he warned.
Another challenge is the lack of cohesive planning and coordination across institutions. To tackle this, the government is now engaging in cross-sectoral planning, aligning energy needs with national development strategies. “Together with the Minister of Finance, we are examining the demands of all 17 sectors to ensure energy responds as an enabler,” he added.
Minister Moyo concluded by reiterating the need for collaboration, innovation, and sustained investment to bridge the electricity access gap and modernize Zimbabwe’s energy infrastructure, key steps in supporting the country’s growth, industrialization, and sustainable development.
