via We can solve power crisis, says Biti – New Zimbabwe 24/09/2015
FORMER Finance minister and opposition politician, Tendai Biti, has said his party has workable practical solutions for the current power crisis which has “de-urbanised” country’s cities and towns under the “tired” and “failed” Zanu PF leadership.
Zimbabwe is experiencing increased hours of power cuts due to power utility ZESA’s failure to generate adequate electricity.
On Thursday the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETD) said the country should brace for worsening blackouts due to electricity generation shortfalls, decreased imports and break-downs at the country’s major power stations.
But Biti, who leads the recently formed People’s Democratic Party (PDP), said they had a programme to address the problems.
“We envisage a 10% growth rate which requires instalment capacity of at least 4 220 Mega Watts by the year 2025,” the PDP said in a statement.
“Under our government, a new energy policy will be unveiled as outlined in our economic blue print which shall see the expansion of generation capacity, promotion of alternative green and renewable sources of energy, addressing the challenges of aged and absolute energy infrastructure, attend to transmission challenges through the establishment a solid, competent regulatory framework.”
The party said it would rehabilitate and modernize the Hwange thermal power station.
“We will construct two more thermal stations at Hwange thermal power station and make the 2,000 megawatt hydro-power station at Batoka Gorge to be shared with Zambia a reality.
“Focus will be put on the construction of a coal fired power plant in Gokwe Sengwa and the Lupane Gas Projects, the rehabilitation and modernization of Sanyati, Harare and Bulawayo Power Stations and add at least 30 small Hydro Power stations throughout the country.”
In the short term however, the PDP suggests that Zimbabwe should enhance its relationship with HCB of Mozambique to increase to at least 1000 MW its electricity imports from Cahora basa.
“When the government introduced the prepaid system they were silently accusing the citizen of failure to pay bills therefore creating financial problems for ZESA,” party said.
“However the recent blackouts are an indictment on the part of government.
“Our party’s proposed solutions are a practical way of dealing with the crisis; we provide a way out for our people who have watched helplessly as Zanu PF turns their homes into hell.”
COMMENTS
“We can solve power crisis” says Biti
Eessh!! As usual, Biti is missing the point far and wide.
The point is not “power crisis” as he would want people to believe. On the contrary it’s “economic crisis”.
So, if anyone, let alone a former finance minister, tries to isolate “power” form all other economic issues then that’s the highest level dis-ingenuity.
Ndosaka, vakare kati ukadziya moto wembavha wave mbabva. Biti avakungotaura same language naMugabe, Chinamasa, and all other zanu pf clowns.
May be, let me call it “suffering from GNU syndrome”.
This bloody idot good for nothing,all talk and no responsibility.
Another fake Moses..
Who thinks he can take Zimbabwe to the promised land.
Biti shut your mouth and put your money were your mouth is and only then people will take you seriously.
Power is not all Zimbabwe needs idot.
“the rehabilitation and modernization of Sanyati, Harare and Bulawayo Power Stations” – I cannot believe that people like Biti could be so ignorant to the point of suggesting rehabilitation and modernization of these three old thermals.
By Sanyati I think he means Munyati but that’s not the point.
Anyone with an idea of power generation will know that these three old thermals should either be shutdown or be rebuilt completely. There should be people in PDP who should advice Biti accordingly. Don’t tell me that everyone in there is a lawyer.
The units – both boiler and turbine – do not generate power at an economic level because they are so old and very high maintenance.
If you take Harare for example, we have PS1 and PS2 which struggle to generate 60 MW at their peak using so much water, coal and personnel at both turbine and boiler level. This is same for Munyati and Bulawayo.
If Zimbabwe had been managed properly these thermals would have been turned into tourist attractions and teach kids interested in power engineering how power used to be generated. I am surprised they can be placed in future plans by any right thinking party leader. This is 2015!
Sometimes our “leaders” are too keen to get attention and too full of themselves. In the end they they think everything they say should be taken as policy. We really need a new kind of politician in Zim. Something akin to what Biti used to talk about before the “bright boy” syndrome got into his head. He once talked about a “servant leadership” that implements informed and evidence based solutions from the people instead of imposing its own ideas on the people – where has that all gone to now? A simple check with the engineers would save him the embarrassment.
First of all you cant even solve your own fighting within your so call break away party ibva mani biti you are just as good as dead wanmwa matablets here why bringing the solution now kuda kukambira zvinhu go to hell with so called solution put order in your party son of a gun