HARARE — The African Development Bank has successfully restored electricity access to more than 300,000 people in Zimbabwe’s eastern districts through a $24.7 million emergency recovery project following the devastating impact of Cyclone Idai in 2019.
The Post-Cyclone Idai Emergency Recovery Project rebuilt 155 kilometers of power lines in Chimanimani and Chipinge districts, replacing the infrastructure destroyed when the cyclone severed electricity, roads and water systems across Manicaland Province, the bank said in a media release on Tuesday.
The project’s electricity component represented $3.7 million in investment, focusing on reinforcing 33kV overhead power lines and constructing a new 12-kilometer distribution line.
The bank replaced wooden poles with steel and implemented installation techniques designed to withstand extreme weather conditions.
“We have significantly reduced the number of faults in the system,” explains engineer Selina Mudzinganyama, who oversaw the rehabilitation.
“Maintenance costs have also gone down because the upgraded design is built to withstand harsher conditions. Clinics, schools, and households now enjoy reliable power, and businesses can operate without constant interruptions,” Mudzinganyama added.
The cyclone left the region without power for more than two months, forcing industries to halt operations, hospitals to operate without reliable electricity for life-saving equipment, and schools to close computer labs.
Witness Teteni, engineering foreman at Charter Sawmills, which employs 320 workers, said the facility had to rely on expensive generators during the outage. “The cyclone brought operations to a near standstill,” he said.
The restored infrastructure has transformed local businesses and services.
“Reliable electricity has been a game-changer for us. During emergencies, we no longer worry about power cuts, and our vaccines are stored safely in temperature-controlled refrigerators. It has improved the quality of care we provide,” clinical nurse Patricia Chikandi said.
The project was implemented through the United Nations Office for Project Services in partnership with Zimbabwe’s government, providing equipment and vehicles to the state-owned Zimbabwe Electricity Distribution Company.
The initiative aligns with Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy and the African Development Bank’s “Lighting and Powering Africa” priority, demonstrating how targeted infrastructure investments can transform regions affected by climate disasters.
