ZETDC targets 300 000 new household connections

The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) has launched an ambitious programme to connect more than 300 000 households currently without electricity across the country, as Government intensifies efforts to close the national electrification gap.

The initiative, announced at the recent ZETDC consultative operations and client service indaba held in Victoria Falls, is aligned with the objectives of National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2) and the broader Vision 2030 agenda.

Under the programme, the State-owned power utility will leverage private sector partnerships to accelerate electrification, particularly in high-density suburbs and newly established settlements that have lagged behind in access to electricity.

ZETDC officials said reticulation works are already underway in several areas, including Lobengula and Cowdray Park suburbs in Bulawayo, which have for years struggled with limited power access.

Zesa Holdings chief executive officer Engineer Cletus Nyachowe said the utility must significantly scale up its operations if it is to meet national development targets.

"On average, we have been connecting between 30 000 and 40 000 customers per annum, but for us to achieve NDS2, we now have to target over 300 000 customers per annum," Nyachowe said.

"This means we must work 10 times faster and smarter, deploying new strategies and deepening private sector participation. Our customer service centre officials have indicated that this target is achievable, and we will provide the necessary resources to make it happen."

Government has in recent years rolled out several interventions to accelerate electrification, including the National Energy Compact, the Zimbabwe National Electrification Programme, and policies promoting independent power producers (IPPs), net metering and captive power generation.

These measures are intended to address both power generation and distribution constraints, while expanding electricity access in so-called "dark cities" — high-density urban and peri-urban areas that remain without power years after settlement.

Energy and Power Development Minister July Moyo said frontline ZETDC staff are critical to turning policy into real improvements in people's lives.

"If we are going to drive NDS2 in terms of energy as an enabling environment, then we have to engage the people who are closest to our communities," he said.

"As the President says, ‘no place and no one should be left behind.' These are the people who will deliver our last-mile connections."

Minister Moyo also stressed that gains in electricity generation must be matched by strengthened distribution infrastructure to ensure that increased supply translates into broader and more reliable access for households nationwide.