By A Correspondent

Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration has made bold claims regarding its ability to resolve Zimbabwe’s longstanding power crisis.

Promising that load shedding will soon become a thing of the past, officials are working to restore faith in a system plagued by operational failures and resource shortages.

On Tuesday, a source from the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) revealed that the organization is actively procuring 600 megawatts (MW) of utility-scale battery systems.

This initiative aims to mitigate the ongoing power shortages, which have been exacerbated by hydrological challenges at the Kariba Dam and technical issues at the Hwange thermal power stations.

The source stated, “We are committed to finding innovative solutions to restore stability in our power supply.”

Despite these plans, skepticism abounds regarding the administration’s ability to deliver on its promises.

Many citizens and industry experts question whether the government has the necessary resources and infrastructure to execute such ambitious projects. Concerns linger over the effectiveness of the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), which aims to increase energy generation capacity.

In an optimistic announcement, the administration highlighted that nine public and private power generation projects are set to add a significant 2,690 MW to the national grid next year. “These projects will help us say goodbye to load shedding,” asserted a government source.

However, critics remain wary. An independent energy analyst remarked, “While the plans sound promising on paper, the real test will be in execution. Previous commitments have often fallen short.”

The Mnangagwa administration faces mounting pressure to resolve the energy crisis as power cuts continue to disrupt daily life and economic activities across the country.

For many Zimbabweans, the promise of an end to load shedding is a beacon of hope, but whether this hope will be realized remains to be seen.