Renewable energy gaining ground

RENEWABLE energy has the potential to transform Zimbabwe’s fortunes in particular the agricultural sector.

Zimbabwe experiences abundance of throughout the year and could capitalize on this resource to provide marginalized societies in rural areas with long lasting energy solutions for their daily livelihoods as an escape route from poverty.

Unfortunately government has not done much to take advantage of the natural resources even in the face of untold power shortages which have literally crippled production in industries.

According to power generation statistics from the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), the country is producing something in the region of 1300 Megawatts (MW) against a demand of 2200 MW and this has resulted in massive load-shedding. 

This power deficit has also prevented government from connecting rural areas to the national power grid through the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) thereby slowing down critical development.

While government has been playing a back-benchers role, ChiMuts Solar Zimbabwe and some other individuals and small companies around the country have taken it upon themselves to utilise these environmental friendly resources through bio-gas projects and solar.

The Norton based private enterprise (ChiMuts) has been taking a leading role in providing farmers with solar powered water pumps.

The company says it aims to empower farmers over a long-term, to enable them to use solar to grow top quality crops for at least three seasons annually, as opposed to relying on rain fed agriculture which is usually from November to March.

Addressing the media during a media tour of their demonstration site at Moncris Farm recently, ChiMuts Solar Zimbabwe co-founder Tendai Mutsvangwa said solar powered water pumps is the only way to go because they are low cost.

“…its maintenance free which means it reduces repair headaches. These solar pumps are not just economical solutions but also give peace of mind.

“They are efficient and you don’t need to worry about bills, yes they maybe expensive at the initial stage but in the long run you will discover that they become cheaper than other methods. So far we have installed these pumps since 2012 and all our clients have no complaints or maintenance issues.

“The other thing is that in Zimbabwe we have almost eight hours of sunshine which is great and ideal for these pumps.

“Other countries do not have such privileges but they still use these equipment so why not us when we have the resource readily available to both small and large scale farmers,” he said.

Since 2012 ChiMuts has installed water pumps in about nine sites across the country ranging from farms, schools and game parks.

ChiMuts is using the solar pumps with drip-irrigation which according to the farm’s irrigation engineer Matilda Borerwi, reduces weeds in the fields and also uses less power.    

ChiMuts’ efforts are in line with calls made by finance minister Patrick Chinamasa in his 2015 national budget where he urged local farmers to consider using sustainable energy systems on their farms in an effort to save the environment.

Zinwa ineffective: Murengwa

THE Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) has been ineffective in terms of providing adequate water to residents, Mvurwi Town Commission has said.

Addressing the media during an appreciation tour of Mvurwi Town organized by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), council chairman Vincent Murengwa said the service from Zinwa has been very poor.

“The provision of water is being done by Zinwa in the whole town but is not very adequate since we experience a lot of breakdowns and power outages. The communities can spend two to three days without water hence council augmented by drilling two boreholes in the high density areas.

“Efforts are underway to take over water from Zinwa as a way of improving supply management in the town. We are ready to take over, other processes have been done and we are now waiting for the relevant authorities to accept our bids.

“As town council, we believe we have capacity to manage water if we are given the chance,” said the Town chairman.

If Mvurwi bids are accepted it will join a number of local authorities in the country that have repossessed water management from Zinwa as major cities and some towns are now managing their water.

Zinwa was given charge over all the water management in the country some years ago but failed dismally to ensure effective delivery of water to residents prompting local authorities to bid for takeover.

Experts believe Zinwa which lay claims over all the water bodies in the country does not have capacity to effectively undertake the responsibilities of water supply especially in urban areas where there is huge demand hence its celebrated failures.

Although most authorities are now running their own water management, the some situation has not improved as they are facing challenges in purchasing water purifying chemicals due to lack of funds as the cash strapped residents are not fully paying their rates on time, if at all.

Mvurwi Town Council chairman also revealed that they have not been spared by the non-payment of rates but added the situation was not worse as in other town thanks to various regular engagements they have with the residents.-

Mvurwi courts investors …eyes municipal status by 2025

MVURWI Town Commission says it has been holding investors’ meetings in an effort to lure as much business to the town so that they can qualify for the municipal status by 2025.

Addressing Journalists on the sidelines of an investment conference, Mvurwi Town Commission chairman Vincent Murengwa said they hope to attract as many investors as possible to the town in line with their 2025 vision.

“Our vision is to attain a municipality status by 2025. We are trying to hold as many investor promotions in the form of conferences coupled with other initiatives so that we can lure more investors since this is one of the bases for being given the status.

“We have more land here and water that we are guarding jealously but which we are willing to give to investors. The town boasts of five water bodies and an educated people, thanks to the schools around the area although we do not yet have a university,” he said.

Mvurwi was given a town status in February 2009 and was effectively separated from Mazowe Rural District council in 2011.

Mvurwi is mainly an agro-based town with more farmers growing tobacco which earned it the title “golden leaf town”.

Some of the country’s leading banks such as the Standard Chartered Bank of Zimbabwe and the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe (CBZ), the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange listed blue-chip company Delta Corporations has a beverages collection Depot, Farm and City and even clothes concern Power Sales have already registered their presence in the town.

Meanwhile, Mvurwi Town Council has been applauded by the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) as being one of the few local authorities in the country that have been able to manage their waste effectively despite the well-documented challenges.

Unlike other well resourced local authorities in the country, Mvurwi only has three tractor drawn dumpers that service the whole town which has an estimated population of 10 492 people.

To make it possible, the innovative town council constructed about 17 communal bins across the sections of the town’s high density areas which serve as garbage collection sites, together with about five make-shift skip-bins and 10 steel bins donated by CBZ which are dotted within the central business district and other strategic areas as market places.

Murengwa said most of their efforts have been made possible by the various initiatives they have taken which include engaging residents on a regular basis which has seen some elderly women-vendors volunteering to clean the market area on Fridays and also watching out for litter-bugs.

The town chairman also revealed that council now has landfill designs in place but lack of funding is hampering progress as they are currently unable to conduct the required Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).