‘People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Has Solutions For Electricity Crisis’-Tendai Biti,

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.” source-newzimbabwe

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