Power supplies in rural areas will be extended through the rural electrification programme since the country is now generating more power following the addition of Units 7 and 8 at Hwange to the national grid, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga said recently at Bishopstone Estate in Beitbridge West Constituency.
The Second Republic had tremendously delivered on its previous and current electoral promises and Government was on course to meet its targets as envisaged in Vision 2030.
“We are aware of power supply challenges in some rural areas, including Beitbridge in areas around Swereki, Ndambe, Bili and Jalukange,” he said.
“This will be a thing of the past. The power company will soon be able to address this since we are now generating more energy with the coming in of Units 7 and 8 at the Hwange Power Station.
“We want to accelerate the rural transformation and industrialisation dream and we can achieve this through connecting most areas to electricity.”
VP Chiwenga, who also donated 10 000 chicks to villagers in Beitbridge West, said the Government was aware of other service delivery concerns in communities.
He said these were already being addressed, with Government planning to drill 10 boreholes in selected wards which had an acute shortage of water for domestic use and livestock.
“The drilling begins immediately. We want to see communities establishing more horticulture projects so that they may improve their income at the household level,” said VP Chiwenga.
“More resources, including tick grease and supplementary stock feeds will be deployed to Beitbridge to boost livestock production considering that it is one of the major economic anchors.”
Several Presidential Input Schemes being rolled out in the country, including distribution of small grains, cattle, goats and poultry had started bearing fruit in the district.
Efforts were also underway to address the mobile telecommunication challenges to drive digitisation.
Already, the Government and development agencies were rehabilitating irrigation projects in Beitbridge with some of them adopting the use of solar energy to ramp up production.
“Some of the irrigation projects under rehabilitation in Beitbridge include; River Ranch, Dombolidenje, Jalukange, Lilombe, Ndambe and Shashe,” said VP Chiwenga.
“We are also having new horticulture projects in wards 8, 9 and 14 in this district including fisheries which are part of the Presidential Fisheries Scheme.”
Herald
