Zimbabwe: REA Electrifies Over 70pc of Rural Schools

18 June 2024
The Herald (Harare)

Trust Freddy — The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) has electrified over 70 percent of primary and secondary schools across the country, marking a major milestone in the country's quest for universal access to sustainable energy and quality education.

This comes as the Second Republic accelerates the expansion of the national electricity grid to rural areas, enhancing economic development in formerly neglected areas, in line with the envisaged Vision 2030 along with setting up independent solar arrays to power essential needs away from the grid.

Speaking during a question and answer session in the Senate last Thursday, Minister of Energy and Power Development Edgar Moyo said REA was working tirelessly to electrify all registered schools.

"Combined, secondary and primary schools have an electrification rate of around 70 percent in the country," Minister Moyo said.

"This means we have 30 percent to go. I know that we continue to develop these projects so that our schools can be fully covered, and e-learning can take place.

"We also have another programme, coordinated by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, with development partners like UNICEF and others, installing solar projects in schools."

Each province has a representative on the REA Board, and projects are developed with each province receiving an allocation for school-related projects.

Minister Moyo said the target would always shift as more schools were registered.

"This is an ongoing programme, and let us also accept that the targets are always shifting as new schools are developed. You cannot reach 100 percent unless there is stagnation in school development."

REA receives a six percent levy from all electricity sales conducted by ZETDC and the money is now transferred to the board without delay.

"At the moment, I can confirm that what ZETDC collects from customers is immediately transferred to REA on a weekly basis. There has been a great improvement in that regard.

"However, there is still a slight lag in the USD component, which is purely administrative, but overall, the transmission of the levy collected by ZETDC to REA is now up to date."

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