ALTERNATIVE energy has been cited as vital for industrialising subsistence farming across Southern Africa.
The 30th anniversary gala dinner of the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) held in Harare this Wednesday night saw SADC Executive Secretary, His Excellency Elias Magosi, highlighting how alternative energy sources are crucial in the implementation of the agro-based industrialisation agenda for the region.
“We are chasing a very serious strategy to industrialise. We have an industrialisation strategy that we are chasing now which was conceived here in Zimbabwe and led by the Zimbabwean government who are reviewing it as we speak.
“We want to industrialise, but we can’t do so without power. A lot of our farmers are subsistence 70% of whom are in rural areas further from the grid. If they must produce and do agro-processing, how will they achieve this? We have to be creative; we have solar in this region, we should harness this,” said His Excellency Magosi.
Zimbabwe’s Energy and Power Development Minister, Honourable July Moyo, commended SAPP and its role in pushing for the harnessing of reliable energy sources for SADC.
“Ministers and government officials sat in Cape Town in April 1995, to craft what had come from utilities which had ended up with the August summit, which ratified and created this, our organisation, which I think we should be proud of because it was an organisation which was a trailblazer in Africa. We were the first African power pool, and now we know there are power pools in East, Central, West and North Africa, but we must pride ourselves as the first ones,” Honourable Moyo said.
The anniversary comes as SADC is pushing for solar micro-grids to power rural agro-processing hubs.
The event also featured an Awards Ceremony recognising the contributions of key individuals who have played a foundational role in the establishment and growth of SAPP.
These “SAPP Legends” were honoured for their visionary leadership, technical contributions, and unwavering commitment to regional energy cooperation.
