Page 10 - AfrElec Week 23 2022

AfrElec INVESTMENT AfrElec

World Bank to fund repair of

Malawi’s Kapichira power plant

MALAWI THE World Bank has provided $60mn to affected Madagascar, Mozambique, Mauritius
Malawi for the repair of a power plant that was and South Africa. It killed about 142 people
damaged by flooding in January 2022 in the in total, including 37 in Malawi, where about
wake of Tropical Cyclone Ana. 109,000 people were displaced. Damage to the
President Lazarus Chakwera said the funding power plant on Shire River, in southern Malawi,
is a soft loan to rehabilitate the 135MW Kapi- left an estimated 200,000 people without
chira facility over the next six months, the Nyasa electricity.
Times reported on June 7. Chakwera said the ministry of energy must
“Blackouts have been inconvenient but deal with government bureaucracy that hinders
Malawians can expect to see a significant drop independent power producers (IPPs). “I there-
in blackouts by Christmas,” the president said, fore trust you to attend to this matter and give me
speaking while commissioning a new 20MW a report by the end of this month on the status of
solar project, Golomoti, owned by JCM Power each IPP that has expressed interest in helping us
of Canada. with our energy needs,” he said, as quoted by the
Apart from Malawi, Tropical Cyclone Ana Nyasa Times.™

Zimbabwe government in standoff

over $344mn waste-to-energy deal

ZIMBABWE A dispute has erputed over a $344mn waste-to- project,” Charamba is quoted as saying. “The
energy project in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital, project owners are the Harare City Council
after a spokesperson for President Emmerson and what the government is simply doing is
Mnangagwa threatened the local mayor with to approve, and there is a difference between
arrest for opposing it. approving and taking over. The council voluntar-
Harare City Council on March 9 approved ily took the project to the minister (Local Gov-
the project by The Netherlands-registered Geo- ernment) for consideration. The minister cannot
genix BV, reportedly backed by a German inves- disown the minutes that he took to cabinet.”
tor, to convert the Pomona landfill northwest of Charamba went on to say that if “this little
the city into a 22MW power plant. lawyer whom you call the mayor of Harare”
The deal was approved by an acting mayor insists on opposing the cabinet decision, he must
since the incumbent, Jacob Mafume, who is know he will end up in prison, probably in the
aligned with the opposition party Citizens Coa- Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison.
lition for Change, had been suspended from Recently, Geogenix BV handed council a
office. $750, 000 bill but the local authority refused to
Upon his return, Mafume convened a council pay it, according to NewsDay.
meeting that resolved to suspend the deal under Mafume, responding to the threat of arrest,
which Geogenix BV, allegedly linked to one of said he has not committed a crime. “How does he
President Mnangagwa’s sons, was to be paid run government by threats?” he told the paper.
$22,000 daily for 30 years for the waste manage- “What crime have I committed? If it’s a council
ment contract. decision, then we no longer want it. Why does he
NewsDay reported on June 6 that presidential threaten me all the time? Does he want me to die
spokesperson George Charamba said the cabinet in Chikurubi? Why does he want to kill me for
had approved the project only after Harare City saying the truth?”
Council had requested it and thus if Mafume Civic bodies have also urged the Harare
continues opposing it, he would be arrested. council to scrap the deal, saying it was unafforda-
“The government is not taking over the ble and allegedly corrupt.™
Pomona project, but is merely approving the

P10 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 23 09•June•2022