PICTURES: Gwanda Solar Project…10 Years Later…US$5 Million Spent

Gwanda Solar Project Now A Ghost Town —US$5 Million and 10 Years Later

Startling pictures of the Gwanda Solar Power Project site have resurfaced on social media, reigniting public outrage as Zimbabwe battles severe electricity loadshedding. The site appears abandoned a decade after the US$172.8 million tender was awarded to controversial businessman Wicknell Chivayo. With power cuts lasting between 18 to 30 hours at a time—some areas receiving only two hours of electricity in the middle of the night when power is restored—frustration is mounting over the project’s failure to deliver.

A visit by the Energy Parliamentary Portfolio Committee in March 2024, six months ago, revealed the project’s dire state. The 262-hectare site is overgrown with bushes, termite-infested wooden buildings, missing roof tiles, and a single solar panel meant for security lighting.

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“We Expected the Contractor to Be Here”

Committee members, who met under the blazing sun due to the absence of basic facilities, expressed their dissatisfaction.

According to CITE, chairperson Leslie Mhangwa criticised the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) for misrepresenting the project’s status:

“We spoke to ZESA, and they assured us all stakeholders would be here. We expected the contractor to attend. That’s why Members are unhappy.”

The committee was shocked by the poor condition of the access road and the lack of significant development.

Legal Battles and Contract Delays

ZESA Holdings Legal Advisor Tungamirai Chinhengo explained the absence of Intratrek Zimbabwe Pvt Ltd, the contractor led by Chivayo. He said:

“The contract remains valid following the 2023 Supreme Court judgement, but the contractor cannot mobilise until certain conditions are met.”

Chinhengo added that Intratrek mobilised in 2016 for preliminary work but was forced to demobilise when the contract was terminated in 2018. He explained:

“The termination occurred because the conditions precedent were not met. A protracted legal battle followed, resolved by the Supreme Court in December 2023.”

Millions Spent, Little to Show

ZPC Acting Project Technical Director Forbes Chanakira disclosed that ZPC advanced US$5.7 million to Intratrek. He provided a breakdown:

“US$2.1 million went to the feasibility study, US$2.8 million to pre-commencement costs, and the remainder for VAT.”

Chanakira confirmed that ground clearance and other preliminary work had been done in 2016 but said vegetation had reclaimed the site:

“The area was a massive bush, and many large trees were removed. Since the project stalled, shrubs have grown back, necessitating another round of clearing.”

Chanakira also revealed that critical infrastructure, such as a 33 KV power line essential to the project, has yet to be constructed:

“The contractor received a quotation from ZETDC, but the work has not started. Communication infrastructure is also pending.”

Despite the lack of visible progress, Chanakira maintained that the feasibility studies confirmed the viability of a 100 MW solar power plant on the site.