In the community

Zimbabwe eyes more solar water heaters as power grid struggles

Published

3 years ago

August 4, 2022

BY LUNGELO NDHLOVU

People in Zimbabwe are used to taking cold baths during lengthy power cuts, but Cosmas Ndlovu’s new home means his family are among the fortunate few who can enjoy hot water at all hours.

When the 48-year-old built his house in the southern African nation three years ago, he had to include a rooftop solar water heater to comply with a 2019 law that banned the installation of electric heaters in buildings.

While the father-of-five said the 150-litre-capacity heater – which directly absorbs the sun’s warmth to heat water – was expensive, at the equivalent of about U.S. $410, he believed that it had proved a worthwhile investment.

“Once the water is heated in the solar geyser, it takes two days before it cools down,” Ndlovu told the Thomson Reuters Foundation at his home in the Pelandaba West district, a newly established suburb not yet been connected to the grid.

“Warm water never runs out. I can have a hot bath even in the middle of the night,” added Ndlovu, who has installed three solar panels as well to power his lights, television, stove and refrigerator.

As Zimbabwe’s grid struggles with increased electricity demand, including as new housing projects are added, the government is emphasising the need for renewable energy and for thermal solar water heaters in homes and buildings.

Zimbabwe has in the past endured severe electricity blackouts – known locally as load shedding – that last up to 18 hours as a result of drought reducing dam levels at its main hydropower plant and breakdowns of coal-fired generators.

While Zimbabwe is on a drive to boost solar power – to cut electricity import costs and combat climate change – renewable suppliers, energy experts and builders warn that the expense of putting such systems into place is a barrier to their use.

Lawrence Mashungu, a climate change expert at the ministry of environment, water and climate, said the government was not offering funds for people to install solar heaters but “was providing advice” about their cost-saving merits.

Zimbabwe’s Secretary for Energy Gloria Magombo, however, said the government was considering subsidies for new housing developments that adopt solar water heaters as well as a program that would see banks provide loans to install them.

“Already, most new housing developments have adopted solar water heaters, which is very positive,” she said in an interview.

The nation has a target of installing at least 250,000 solar water heaters in old and new buildings by 2030. The government said it had no data on how many were in place currently.

Under the 2019 law, new buildings that do not have solar water heaters cannot be connected to the grid, and offenders can face a fine and up to a year in prison.

Zimbabwe has an installed electric capacity of about 2,000 megawatts (MW), with Kariba hydropower dam producing over half of that energy, according to its president.

Coal plants and imported power from Mozambique and South Africa provide much of the rest of the country’s electricity, with coal capacity growing.

But renewable power also has a role to play, with the government having vowed to cut its energy-related emissions by about a third by 2030, mainly by boosting investment in hydropower and solar power.

It has set a target to generate at least 2,100 MW of clean energy by the end of the decade, of which 75% would come from solar, according to the country’s 2019 renewable energy policy.

Import duties have been removed from solar-energy-related projects, while Magombo said the government was supporting local manufacturing of heat-absorbing rooftop water heaters and promoting their benefits.

Ultimately, the use of the technology should reduce household energy consumption by 20-40%, the official added.

The government also said last month it is implementing a net metering system, whereby people whose homes have rooftop solar panels can sell their excess energy to the national grid.

Abe Cambridge, chief executive of Sun Exchange, a South African renewable energy start-up that works in the region, said solar water heaters, like rooftop panel systems, can significantly reduce electricity costs and transform lives.

“For under-served communities with no previous access to warm water except by heating water in pots, this technology is life-changing,” he said.

Hawkflight Construction, a company based in Bulawayo, said the solar water heaters were an extra expense for buyers at a time when the cost of building houses was already rising – but he emphasised the longer-term benefits of the technology.

“(There is) only a cost at the implementation stage, but thereafter it is a lifetime benefit,” said Martin Moyo, the land developing and building firm’s operations manager.

Pelandaba West resident and civil servant Nhlalwenhle Mqhawana said she had not been able to afford her $400 heater outright and was instead paying for it in monthly installments.

But the 39-year-old said her family had since saved about $20 a month as they no longer had to pay for gas cylinders to heat water.

In mid-July, Zimbabwe’s state-owned power utility warned there would be an increase in blackouts due to high demand for electricity and import constraints.

But the power cuts are of no concern to Ndlovu’s family.

“My household doesn’t know what load shedding is because my entire home is connected to a powerful solar system which is running the refrigerator, television and the stove,” he said. – Thomson Reuters Foundation

In the community

Crocodile attacks claim 9 lives, injure 11

Published

3 weeks ago

March 13, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

A surge in crocodile attacks has left a trail of death and destruction in Zimbabwe, with 9 fatalities and 11 injuries reported in the last two months.

According to a statement released by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks), 49 human-crocodile conflict cases were recorded during the same period, resulting in the loss of 44 cattle and 60 goats.

The Mid-Zambezi region, which includes Lake Kariba, Angwa River, and Hunyani River, was the hardest hit, with 19 cases reported. The Central region recorded 14 cases, while 16 cases were reported in other areas, including Matopo, Harare, North-West Matabeleland, and South-East Low-veld.

ZimParks has urged communities to exercise extreme caution, especially around water bodies, during the current rain season. The authority has advised communities to ensure that livestock and children are not left unattended near rivers or lakes, and to take precautions when engaging in water activities such as fishing, swimming, and domestic chores.

To mitigate the situation, ZimParks is working closely with local authorities and conservation partners to raise public awareness and promote safety practices. The authority has emphasized its commitment to finding a balance between ensuring public safety and conserving wildlife.

As the situation continues to unfold, ZimParks has appealed to the public to remain vigilant and to report any crocodile sightings or attacks to the authorities.

Nkayi

Nkayi man sentenced to 20 years for murdering patron

Published

3 weeks ago

March 13, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY STAFF REPORTER

In a High Court circuit sitting in Hwange, a 23-year-old man from Gwelutshena was sentenced to 20 years in prison for murder.

Mtabisi Ndimande was convicted of killing a 39-year-old man in a brutal axe attack that occurred on August 5, 2024, at DZ Sports Bar in Inyathi.

The court heard that Ndimande had been drinking beer with the deceased when an argument ensued.

Despite intervention from a security guard, Ndimande pulled out an axe and struck the deceased on the head.

The blow caused the deceased to collapse, while the axe remained embedded in his head. The offender then removed the axe and walked away.

The deceased bled profusely and was taken to the hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on August 6, 2024.

The police responded to the scene and recovered the axe.

Hwange

Drugs causing mayhem in Victoria Falls

Published

1 month ago

March 3, 2025

VicFallsLive

BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI

The scourge of drugs and substance abuse is tearing families apart in the city of Victoria Falls as young people resort to dangerous substances to cope with mounting economic problems.

Victoria Falls, like most urban areas in Zimbabwe, is battling against a surge in cases of drugs and substance abuse, which has seen the government launching various programmes to curb the crisis.

Eslina Sibanda, a Mkhosana resident whose son was forced to drop out of college due to drug addiction, narrated her heart-rending ordeal in an interview with NewsHub.

“He was a bright student, but then he started experimenting with mbanje and other substances,” Sibanda said.

“Before we knew it, he was hooked. We tried to get him help, but it was too late.

“He dropped out of college and he now struggles to find a job.”

According to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency, approximately 750 000 people in Zimbabwe use cannabis, while 150 000 use other illicit drugs.

The same report noted that 14.6 percent of males and 5.6 percent of females aged between 15 and 65 years engage in hazardous or harmful drinking.

In a dramatic event that gripped Victoria Falls last November, 82 year-old Paul Siangapi was forced to take his son, Wonder, to court after he attempted to stab a family member in a drug-fuelled rage.

Siangapi pleaded with the magistrate to send his 40year-old son to jail for years, saying after the death of his mother, almost a decade ago, he started smoking cannabis (mbanje) and abusing alcohol.

He said Wonder became abusive even to his grandchildren as a result of drug abuse.

The magistrate subsequently ruled that he must be referred to the Mlondolozi Mental Health Prison in Bulawayo where he is being treated for his addiction together with seven others from Victoria Falls who were facing charges of committing offences under the influence of drugs.

Siangapi told News Hub from his Chinotimba home that his life had become hell on earth because of his son’s drugs problem.

“He is ok there (in prison),” Siangapi said. “I was always running away from him. He would lock the gate, deprive me of food and, at times, l would sleep in the car outside the gate because of him.”

On 18 February, Information minister, Jenfan Muswere, said the police had arrested 9, 527 people and dismantled 79 illegal drug bases as part of a countrywide crackdown on drug and substance abuse between 1 September 2024 and 31 January 2025.

Muswere told a post-Cabinet briefing that 616 drug suppliers and 8 911 drug users had been arrested during the operation.

The government has also established three new rehabilitation centres for drug addicts in Victoria Falls, Harare and Kwekwe.

The ministry of Health and Child Care notes that substance abuse is a major contributor to mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, and psychosis.

Mental health experts say a combination of factors that include poverty, unemployment, and lack of access to education and healthcare drive young people into drugs and substance abuse.

“Young people are turning to substances as a way to cope with the stress and uncertainty of their lives,” said Silvester Nyoni, a local psychologist. “We need to address the root causes of this crisis, rather than just treating the symptoms.”

Rufaro Nyakwende, a social worker at the Zimbabwe Civil Liberties and Drug Network, said the impact of substance abuse was far-reaching as affected not only individuals, but also families, communities, and the economy.

“Substance abuse is leading to tracking substance use,” Nyakwende said.

“At the end of the day, people have mental issues such as depression, anxiety, and this leads to interest in another driver of tracking substance use, which is peer pressure. A lot of children experience peer pressure through interactions, observation, learning, and playing.

“People may admire the effects of someone using drugs and end up using those drugs themselves. This is another driver of tracking substance use. When they continue using drugs, it also leads to mental health issues like depression, stress, anxiety, and this is what leads to a high risk of suicide,” added Nyakwende.

She said the community also exerts too much pressure on young people.

“There’s also the issue of social pressures. The community expects certain things from people,” Nyakwende added.

“For instance, by a certain age, you’re expected to have achieved certain milestones, such as having a proper job and a family.

“But when you fail to meet these expectations, it can lead to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem, which can contribute to higher rates of suicide.”

The government launched the National Substance Abuse Policy in 2020 as one of the ways to deal with the scourge.

For Nyoni, however, more needs to be done to provide support and resources for those struggling with addiction.

“We need to increase funding for treatment centres, counselling services, and support groups,” he said.

“We also need to raise awareness about the dangers of substance abuse and provide education and job training programs for young people.”

SOURCE: NEWS HUB