Nyashadzashe Ndoro
Lawmakers in Zimbabwe raised concerns this week about the lack of electricity in rural areas surrounding Kariba Dam, the country's main source of energy. They highlighted the situation as potentially discriminatory, pointing out that residents see power lines bypassing their homes while they remain in darkness.
“The import of the question, Leader of Government Business,” interpreted the Speaker of Parliament, “is that there are people in the hinterland near the source of electricity generation. They see these electricity poles and lines passing across, but they are not benefiting from the power generation, which is within the vicinity. Why are they being discriminated?”
Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Ziyambi Ziyambi responded by acknowledging the need for further discussion but denied discrimination.
“Firstly, there is no discrimination,” he said. “Secondly, I agree that those who live within the vicinity of a specific economic enterprise that benefit the whole country must also benefit.
“I believe it is a thing that can be taken up to ensure that those that are generating electricity as a measure of social corporate responsibility, must also extend and ensure that they provide the infrastructure to ensure that they benefit so that they can enjoy and ululate that they are providing power to the country, but they are also benefiting. It is something that is worth following up,” he added.
The comments made in Parliament suggested that potential solutions might involve exploring social responsibility initiatives from electricity generators to expand grid access to nearby communities. However, the concerns raised by lawmakers highlight the ongoing struggle for equitable access to necessities like water and electricity in Zimbabwe.
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