ZPC requires US$87m for workers’ suburb
THE Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) requires US$87 million to construct a new suburb for its workforce who would be relocated from Hwange’s Ingagula suburb situated near Hwange Thermal Power Station.
Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC)
The current location is exposed to pollution due to its proximity to the massive power plant, which is undergoing expansion works.
The suburb has been in existence for decades with residents enduring air and land pollution from flue gas and the amount of discharge will be extreme after the completion of Units 7 and 8 hence the need to relocate the families.
Briefing the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Budget, Finance and Economic Development members who visited the power plant on Wednesday, ZPC Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) acting managing director, Engineer Kenneth Maswera, said funding would be drawn from the power utility resources, separate from the expansion project budget.
“The 437 families are our employees and it’s our obligation as ZPC to build new houses for them.
We are removing the lower-level staff from an area that has a lot of dust and it’s no longer habitable for them.
The new houses would be better than the current ones,” said Eng Maswera.
“The relocation requires a budget of US$87 million and the money has to come from our internal resources.
The relocation is our own internal initiative and has the support of the Environmental
Management Authority (EMA).”
Environmental Management Authority (EMA)
According to the scope of the housing project, a total of 636 housing units would be built.
A total of 144 housing units are under EPC Contractor and overall completion stands at 76 percent with 31 August being the expected date of completion.
Social amenities such as shopping mall, clinics, schools and playing fields would be built. However, ZPC would only build schools with the private sector engaged through tenders by the Hwange Local Board to construct other amenities, said the acting managing director.
The power station is expected to generate more than 60 percent of Zimbabwe’s electricity needs following the expansion.
The project is funded by China Exim Bank, Sinohydro and the Government of Zimbabwe through the Zimbabwe Power Company.
The project has already created more than 3 000 for locals in line with the Second Republic’s Vision 2030, which aims to transform Zimbabwe into an upper middleincome economy.-The Chronicle
