BULAWAYO \u2013 The oft-repeated claim by President Emmerson Mnangagwa that \u201cZimbabwe is open for business\u201d is hot air, according to Koko Matshela, the former head of South Africa\u2019s power utility, Eskom.<\/p>\n
Matshela, now the head of Matshela Energy, was awarded a power generation licence in July last year, but no development has taken place in Gwanda, Matabeleland South.<\/p>\n
\u201cMatshela Energy remains committed to the Gwanda project. We have followed every single process imposed on us. We remain hopeful. It\u2019s easy to say Zimbabwe is open for business. Practically, it is extremely challenging,\u201d Matshela wrote on Twitter April 17, reacting to reports that the Zimbabwe government has drawn up a 10-year plan to ramp up power production through solar power stations.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy advice is that we talk less and deliver more. There is too much talk and less progress. The people of Zimbabwe want to see yellow machines breaking ground. Investors are there. They are not asking for government money. But they are still not breaking ground. Why?\u201d<\/p>\n
In December last year, Matshela claimed \u201cso many people have tried to extort money from me and I refused, it is a shame.\u201d Energy Minister Fortune Chasi challenged him to submit the evidence, but it is not known if Matshela did.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe remain engaged with the relevant authorities,\u201d Matshela said. \u201cWe are ready to bring the yellow machines to break ground. We are not asking for ZESA or government money. We sincerely hope there will be traction soonest.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you have regulations and policies in place and investors follow them without fail, the outcome should be predictable. Our experience tells that\u2019s not the case. Regulatory and policy certainty is a real problem (in Zimbabwe).\u201d<\/p>\n
Matshela\u2019s power project is expected to add 100MW to the national grid when complete, easing the current power deficit which has seen Zimbabweans go for up to 18 hours without power. It will also have a 40 MWh energy storage facility.<\/p>\n
He had initially planned to do the ground-breaking in August last year, but he says he has been kept waiting by Zimbabwean authorities. \u2013 ZimLive<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BULAWAYO \u2013 The oft-repeated claim by President Emmerson Mnangagwa that \u201cZimbabwe is open for business\u201d is hot air, according to Koko Matshela, the former head of South Africa\u2019s power utility, Eskom. Matshela, now the head of Matshela Energy, was awarded a power generation licence in July last year, but no development has taken place in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":22215,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,12],"tags":[188,395],"class_list":{"0":"post-22214","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-all-news","8":"category-policy","9":"tag-bulawayo","10":"tag-presidency"},"yoast_head":"\n