By Ebi Kesiena
President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe has inaugurated a Chinese-funded power station, noting that it would help alleviate power shortages ahead of the upcoming August nations elections.
The facility, which is an enlargement of an existing station, is one of four energy projects funded by a $1.2 billion loan from China, with which Harare has had links since the country’s independence from Britain.
Mnangagwa who is running for a second term as president on August 23rd, has in recent times inaugurated couple of projects in an effort to portray himself as a go-getter and also reassure the people about the status of the economy.
Local media reports that President Mnangagwa inaugurated a coal mine on Monday and a clinic on Wednesday before traveling to the northwestern town of Hwange to officially begin the 600MW coal-fired power plant.
Speaking to supporters at a nearby stadium after the ceremony, he noted that the new factory will be a critical enabler of development and that Zimbabwe was “open for business.”
He added that Zimbabwe would now be self-sufficient in its power needs and the government would continue to focus on growing the economy “by thinking outside the box”.
For years, the southern African country has been overwhelmed by chronic power outages, which at their worst late last year left millions of residents in the dark for up to 19 hours a day.
Although the government declared an end to blackouts in July, most people continue to face daily outages lasting a couple of hours.
Mnangagwa was also able to demonstrate that he still has good friends in the international arena, although Zimbabwe is mostly isolated.
Mnangagwa has long blamed the punitive measures for the country’s dire straits, something the United States and Europe deny.
However, analysts predict a contentious vote later this month, in the midst of a crackdown on the opposition and a disgruntled populace dealing with hyperinflation, poverty, and high unemployment.
