HARARE – Chinhoyi MP Leslie Mhangwa has accused Zimbabwean politicians of papering over and unnecessarily elevating public expectations over the country’s power crisis through lies when the situation on the ground was dire.

The opposition CCC lawmaker and parliamentary portfolio committee chairperson was speaking during an ongoing 2024 pre-budget seminar in Harare.

Mhangwa, a qualified electrical engineer, said politicians were lying when they continuously tell citizens the commissioning of Hwange Units 7 and 8 earlier this year has brought an end to the crisis.

“There is a misconception partly because of us politicians that Zimbabwe is energy secure.

“We give an impression that we are sorted; the country is out of the electricity quagmire but the situation on the ground will not paint the same picture,” he said.

Zimbabwe is battles depressed power supplies as the new Hwange 7 and 8 units with an installed capacity of 600MW are reportedly undergoing a 30-day statutory maintenance session.

Hwange units 1 to six are constantly breaking down because the power station is now old.

“If Hwange 1 to 6 is working, Kariba, small thermals and independent power producers we have licences, we should get to 3,000MW against a peak demand of 1,900MW.

“But the reality on the ground is that on a normal day, Hwange 1 to 6 gives us 50 percent because of age, units 7 and 8 can give us 680MW but every now and then, we need to do routine maintenance,” said Mhangwa.

He said the ministry placed a bid for ZW$192 billion in the 2024 budget but was given a cap of ZW$68 billion.

He added, “I hope the finance minister will say we give you everything that you need because you are the engine for growth but unfortunately our allocation is at 35.6 percent.

“It is our hope that the minister fully adopts the budget and gives us tools of the trade to fully equip us to tackle this electricity quagmire.”

Speaking at the same event, secretary for energy and power development Gloria Magombo said the government was considering upgrading Hwange units 1 to six.

She said the project is expected to come to fruition after a minimum period of two years.

“The repowering of Hwange 1 to six will unlock an additional 350MW which is a low hanging fruit and can be completed within two years.

“We also see the coming in of Independent Power Producers unlocking an additional 1,000MW,” she said.

Magombo said the ministry would require ZW$2 billion for its energy infrastructure projects aimed at increasing the country’s power generation capacity.

“We need ZW$2 billion for us to be able to increase generation by almost 2,000MW in the next five years to help alleviate the energy deficit.

“We need to come up with innovations to fundraise towards the energy infrastructure,” she said.