“Last month, President Mnangagwa met his Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema and discussed steps that will be undertaken to kickstart the 2 400MW, US$4.5 billion Batoka Gorge Hydroelectric Power Station on the Zambezi River,” reported New Zimbabwe.
“It is expected to generate revenue of over US$750 million annually, which will consequently enhance the economies of Zimbabwe and Zambia.”
There are five things that must be said here:
- Ian Smith had done the feasibility studies on not just Batoka Gorge Dam but also on adding unit 7 and 8 at Hwange Power Station and work on the two projects would have been carried out and completed in the 1970s and 1980s at the latest.
- Mugabe received the feasibility reports on the two power projects in 1980 as the new incoming government and did nothing about it for decades. Up to now only Hwange unit 7 has been installed and commissioned in 2022.
- It is not that Zimbabwe did not have the resources to build such majority projects; it has. Our problem is misplaced priorities and corruption. Mugabe squandered US$ 2-3 billion building his sprawling Blue Roof mansion that Pantheon to insatiable greed; enough to have paid for Batoka Gorge Dam at the time!
- The opportunity cost of failing to build these power projects timeously is not just the economic loses because of the all too familiar ZESA load shedding; no doubt the nation would have been spared the power cuts. But more notably, the 2 400 MW Batoka Gorge, or a second Kariba Dam, would have spurred its own economic growth these last four decades. So, instead of Batoka Gorge Dam we got the Pantheon, Blue Roof mansion, which Grace Mugabe abandoned soon after the late dictator’s death. Even with her looted fortune, she cannot afford the high maintenance cost, and so rot and decay have set in.
- In 1980 Zimbabwe had the material and human resources and potential to become the South Korea of Africa, a dynamic and prosperous nation. We have become the textbook case failed state all because of failed leadership. What a criminal waste of money, opportunity and, most tragic of all, human lives!
5 comments:
@ Godfrey
“Ko zvinoreveiko izvi? My understanding is that the area which is said to be endowed with lithium in Mberengwa is now a RESERVED AREA, which means that nobody, except government, has got the right to undertake any mining or related activities in the area, right? If that’s the case, and I understand it is the case, then, it would mean that not even the Chinese nor their proxies, should be seen in the area undertaking any mining and related activities. The authorities need to make it clear to the population as to what the status quo is. I don’t support illegal mining (chikorokoza), which I believe our government has supported for a long time. But when things like what’s described in these voice narratives happen, people become not only confused, but angry, which is not at all good for the country.”
This is not a vicious cycle, it is people who are shooting themselves in the foot.
What is happening here is corruption and we helpless to stop it because it is too late to do so. We can stop corruption by stopping Zanu PF rigging the elections and getting political legitimacy by implementing the reforms to ensure free and fair elections. We have failed to implement even one reform and keep participating in the flawed elections knowing fully well that by participating we are giving Zanu PF legitimacy.
We are now complaining that Zanu PF is corrupt and we cannot stop them. Of course, we cannot stop them! Why did we give the regime legitimacy in the first place!
“The analysis is relevant and factual, don't look at who said it, numbers don't lie and a party can not run away from the responsibility to mobilise people to register to vote, otherwise it will not be a true political party but a grouping of opportunists.”
You are 100% right, the analysis is relevant and factual and people should not look at who said it. Those who lack the intellect to deal with facts and substance always resort to shooting the messenger.
Political parties and their leaders are accountable to the public and not just their supporters because what they do in public office affect us all regardless of whether we voted for them or not. It is in all our public interest that we have competent and democratic ruling and opposition parties.
The people of Zimbabwe have risk life and limb in the fight to end white colonial rule only to be denied their freedoms and rights by Zanu PF. They once again risked life and limb to elect MDC/CCC on the understanding they will implement reforms and end the Zanu PF dictatorship. Morgan Tsvangirai and company sold out and failed to implement even one reform.
You are right to criticise Chamisa and company’s failure to implement reforms and stop Zanu PF rigging these elections and for calling off the foolish CCC supporters who think their party leaders are demigods who must not be held to account.
Zanu PF is rigging 2023 elections and CCC are participating to give the regime legitimacy. It is our duty to point this out and stop the insanity!
“CCC leader President Nelson Chamisa has reached out to security chefs, pointing out that his administration will work with all progressive individuals.
In a statement on Thursday, CCC emphasised the need to protect security chefs’ interests.
“We will honour, protect and work with all men and women in uniform.
We will and must reward the patriotism and integrity of our security services,”CCC deputy spokesperson Gift Ostallos Siziba said.
We salute our citizens security services- the citizens’ army, citizens’ police and citizens’ intelligence & prison services.”
Zanu PF has corrupted our security services by bribing the top brass with generous salaries and allowances and mining concession - looting licences. MDC had the chance to end the corruption by implementing the democratic reforms decided, instead, to bribe the security top brass by assuring them they will keep all their benefits and loot. Nothing has changed, the bribe is still on the table!
@ Malema
“ANC stands for African National Corruption!”
Malema is just a buffoon given to shooting from the hip, that does not mean he is not deadly!
ANC leaders knows that they are corrupt and incompetent and hence the reason why they are resorting to the same Zanu PF dirty tactics to stay in power and have endorsed Zanu PF’s no regime change posture!
The saving grace for South Africans is their willingness to accept their leaders are fallible; in Zimbabwe it took 20 years for many people to accept Zanu PF were corrupt and murderous thugs regardless the evidence of economic meltdown and Gukurahundi. Chamisa and co. have failed to implement even one reform in 22 years but that has not stop some people calling him Change Champion in Chief!
Zanu PF is rigging these elections and CCC are participating to give Zanu PF legitimacy for the sake of a few gravy train seats. Many Zimbabweans out there are too blind to see the sheer insanity of it all.
“CCC leader President Nelson Chamisa has reached out to security chefs, pointing out that his administration will work with all progressive individuals.
In a statement on Thursday, CCC emphasised the need to protect security chefs’ interests.
“We will honour, protect and work with all men and women in uniform.
We will and must reward the patriotism and integrity of our security services,”CCC deputy spokesperson Gift Ostallos Siziba said.
We salute our citizens security services- the citizens’ army, citizens’ police and citizens’ intelligence & prison services.”
Zanu PF has corrupted our security services by bribing the top brass with generous salaries and allowances and mining concession - looting licences. MDC had the chance to end the corruption by implementing the democratic reforms decided, instead, to bribe the security top brass by assuring them they will keep all their benefits and loot. Nothing has changed, the bribe is still on the table!
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