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

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.

“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.

Source:


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