The Energy Minister Advocate Fortune Chasi has instructed ZPC to resolve its dispute with Wicknell Chivhayo’s company Intratrek to allow the project to proceed because according to The Herald the country needs adequate power.
The Minister reportedly wrote to ZPC and ZESA and instructed the management to obtain necessary board approvals to ensure the project proceeds since litigation had been stopped on the case.
Chasi reportedly wrote to ZESA management and said:
Power is generated at power stations, not in the courts of law, ZPC and Intratrek have been in the courts since time immemorial, my principal concern and mandate is to generate power for the people of Zimbabwe.
Since my appointment last year, I have given the parties the latitude to resolve the matter, and the courts, Justice Chitapi in particular, ordered the parties to meet and discuss implementation of the project, but up until last week the parties had not met.
Seeing that the parties were dilatory in their approach to this matter I felt that it would be extremely irresponsible on my part as Minister of energy to continue to have the matter held in abeyance in the same vein Government is grappling with power shortages, and importing very expensive power,
The Minister also reportedly said Intratrek has assured the government that it is working with reputable partners that have delivered in similar projects of such magnitude.
This was probably before the Supreme Court reversed Intratrek MD Wicknell Chivhayo’s acquittal and allowed the NPA to proceed with their case against the businessman.
More: The Herald