ENERGY Minister Dzikamai Mavhaire has warned a Chinese company which was handed a US$1.5 billion contract to boost electricity generation in the country against bringing labourers from Beijing.
Mavhaire was speaking last week at an event where the deal was concluded with Chinese company Synohydro for the addition of two new units at the coal-fired Hwange Power Station which will help ease the country’s power supply problems.
“Our young boys and girls who went abroad are now experienced. They can take up these jobs. We have a lot of engineers and technicians … don’t bring a lot of Chinese workers.”
China has been playing a key role in Zimbabwe since the country adopted its Look East policy to mitigate the impact of the collapse in relations with traditional western partners over the last decade or so.
President Robert Mugabe recently visited Beijing where he secured funding for massive infrastructure development projects which he expects to help revive the faltering economy as well as create new jobs for a country said to have an unemployment rate of about 80 percent.
Opposition legislator Settlement Chikwinya voiced concern over the issue in Parliament with Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa following Mugabe’s return from his China visit.
“It’s not the first time I am hearing that allegation. We have projects which we have undertaken with them and I have no evidence of people coming to push wheelbarrows from China,” said Chinamasa.
Meanwhile, Mavhaire warned Sinohydro against backing out of the billion Hwange expansion project which is critical for the energy-starved country.
“There is no way you can come back and say ‘sorry there is no money’ because you said funding is available,” said Mavhaire amidst laughter.
Zimbabwe produces an average of 1,200MW against a peak demand of 2,200MW and relies on imports to supplement its production.
Last month the government launched a $533m project with Sinohydro to scale up electricity generation at another of the country’s major plants, the Kariba hydroelectric power station.