Local authorities must forge strategic alliances with private sector to power development: Dr Kachirekwa

SOWELL CHIKWARI

Zimbabwe’s local authorities and state-owned enterprises must forge strategic partnerships with the private sector to drive sustainable development, modernise public infrastructure, and improve service delivery, energy policy expert and Power Giants Africa CEO, Dr. Engineer Edzai Kachirekwa, has said.

His call follows the recent launch of a high-profile collaboration between the City of Harare and Geo Pomona Waste Management—a public-private partnership (PPP) initiative officially commissioned by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The project, designed to revolutionise Harare’s waste disposal systems, has been widely praised as a model for future development strategies.

President Mnangagwa hailed the partnership as “a beacon of our national potential and a cornerstone of the country’s National Development Strategy,” noting that, “It is a testament to what is possible through visionary leadership, imagination, strategic partnerships, and a unified national purpose by our people.”

Although the Geo Pomona project focuses on waste management, Dr. Kachirekwa emphasized that similar PPP models should be replicated across other critical sectors—energy, water and sanitation, mining, and smart irrigation systems—if Zimbabwe is to achieve its Vision 2030 goal of becoming an upper-middle-income economy.

“Major cities across the globe are collaborating with private sector institutions to build and operate modern, clean energy infrastructure systems,” Dr. Kachirekwa said.

“In our context, government departments and municipalities need to actively engage the private sector for the provision of smart, sustainable electricity solutions.”

He pointed out that Zimbabwe’s aging power infrastructure frequently suffers breakdowns, resulting in widespread blackouts that hinder economic activity. To counter this, Dr. Kachirekwa recommended investment in decentralised power systems, particularly solar mini-grids, led by local authorities in partnership with private firms.

This approach, he said, would not only build resilience in the face of grid failures but also complement the devolution strategy by allowing provinces to meet their own energy needs independently, thereby reducing pressure on the national grid.

“As private sector players, we are more than ready to partner with municipalities and government agencies to mitigate acute electricity shortages in major cities and underserved areas through the deployment of solar-powered mini-grids and energy storage systems,” he said. “This is especially vital for expanding industrial zones and fast-growing suburbs.”

He added that such initiatives align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7), which advocates for universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy.

Power Giants Africa, the company Dr. Kachirekwa leads, is a diversified energy enterprise specializing in renewable power infrastructure, electricity transmission, and the construction of high-voltage substations.

The firm recently inked a strategic partnership with China’s GNEE to boost electricity generation and strengthen Zimbabwe’s energy delivery systems.

Dr. Kachirekwa, a firm believer in circular economy principles, said Zimbabwe’s future lies in sustainable infrastructure that recycles resources and maximizes utility.

“Waste does not have to be wasted — it can serve as an input for another process. Our circular economy must aim to keep materials at their highest utility value. Likewise, energy recovery from waste and solar can power the cities of tomorrow,” he said.

He stressed that the Harare-Geo Pomona project has proven that forward-thinking partnerships can yield tangible results and set the stage for smart, green cities.

By forging robust alliances with the private sector, councils across Zimbabwe can unlock new levels of efficiency, innovation, and investment—bringing the country closer to its net-zero carbon goals and a more sustainable economic future.

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