Minister Ncube urges Midlands manufacturers to embrace renewable energy

Midlands Province manufacturing firms must immediately pivot towards establishing their own renewable energy plants to align with the Second Republic’s developmental goals, Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Hon. Owen Ncube, has said.

Officiating during a tour of the Clover New Energy (Pvt) Ltd 20-megawatt solar power plant construction site in Gweru, Minister Ncube challenged industrialists to follow the example set by the Chinese-invested project, emphasising that self-sufficiency in power generation is no longer optional but a strategic necessity enshrined in the National Development Strategy (NDS) 2.

“I therefore urge other manufacturing companies in the province to establish similar renewable energy plants in line with the Second Republic’s NDS 2 Pillar on Infrastructure Development and Housing, which entrenches expansion of the nation’s renewable energy capacity,” said Minister Ncube.

He commended the USD 20 million project, a subsidiary of Jin An Chrome Smelting Company, as a benchmark in public-private partnership, highlighting its role in reducing electricity imports and operational costs.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, since the inception of the Second Republic under the astute leadership of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa, bold and strategic policy decisions were adopted to improve energy sufficiency, efficiency and security through incentives, duty-free solar imports and the requirement for heavy industries to develop their own power supply by 2026,” he said.

Minister Ncube described the plant as a tangible outcome of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Zimbabwe and the People’s Republic of China, a relationship he said is critical for technology transfer and job creation.

“I therefore commend Clover New Energy Private Limited, a subsidiary of Jin An Chrome Smelting Company, for implementing this climate-smart, energy-efficient solar project critical in reducing electricity imports, energy bills and carbon emissions,” he said.

The tour also served as a platform to show the government’s broader energy milestones, including the Kariba Floating Solar Plant, the Munyati Solar Park, and Hwange Units 7 and 8, as proof that the drive towards an empowered upper middle-income society by 2030 is on course.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, attainment of Vision 2030 under the stewardship of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Cde Dr Mnangagwa, is achievable and unstoppable,” said Minister Ncube.

He also called for robust public support for the Constitutional Amendment No. 3 of 2026 currently at the consultation stage.