Chiredzi installs solar streetlights
CHIREDZI Town Council has resolved to adopt the use of renewable energy sources by installing solar streetlights along all rehabilitated roads in the town.
This comes after council has rehabilitated 13km of tarred road in the town using $500 000 that was availed by the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (Zinara).
Town Council chair Councillor Francis Moyo on Monday said the town has gone a gear up in pushing towards the attainment of municipality status by year end.
“Council is now in the overdrive to try and install solar streetlights on all our roads, which were recently rehabilitated,” he said.
“Our drive is mainly focused at attaining municipal status by the end of the year.
We have already started work to install solar-powered street lights and our goal is to make sure all the major streets have solar-powered lighting system.”
Councillor Moyo said Chiredzi Town was embracing the use of smart and renewable energy since the sugar cane growing towns records high day time temperatures.
“Naturally Chiredzi records high day-time temperatures and that inspired our drive to opt for a renewable energy source.
The introduction of a solar lighting system is also a cost-cutting measure because of late council has been grappling with runaway electricity bills every month,” he said.
Chiredzi’s bid to attain town status by the end of this year recently received further impetus after Government availed 750 hectares for its expansion.
The anticipated growth in the town is expected to boost revenue inflows and help Chiredzi town clear the salary backlog for its workers.
“Our greatest setback is that we are not collecting significant amounts of service fees from residents.
On water alone we are owed close to $5 million and that is affecting the pace at which we want our town to be uplifted,” said Councillor Moyo.
Chiredzi is touted as Masvingo’s industrial hub thanks to the sugar cane industry head-quartered there and the anticipated expansion in cane production after the advent of Tugwi-Mukosi Dam is expected to further enhance the town’s status as the province’s industrial giant.