President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said Rwanda President Paul Kagame helped Zimbabwe secure US$800 million in funding for its rural electrification programme.
Mnangagwa made the comments in Chiredzi on Saturday afternoon while addressing thousands of villagers during a ZANU PF “Thank You Rally”.
The President added that Kagame will attend the unveiling of the rural electrification programme at the end of this month. He said:
We have a programme which is coming at the end of this month. President Kagame of Rwanda is visiting us for this occasion.
This is after I spoke to him to say, fellow brother, our country Zimbabwe is under sanctions but we have a programme to ensure everyone has access to electricity wherever they are.
President Kagame then spoke to his friends and he secured US$800 million. So that’s the facility he is coming to launch.
Mnangagwa said the current shortages of electricity in southern Africa have been caused by economic growth. He said:
If you go to Rwanda and see what President Kagame has done in the villages, it is well organised. Over there (in Rwanda) they work in unity with government assistance.
That way, there is no family left behind because every household is assisted out of poverty.
There is a shortage of electricity in the country and the SADC (Southern African Development Community) region.
In our case, it is mainly because of the economic growth we have experienced in recent years.
Zimbabwe and Rwanda enjoy cordial relations which have seen the two countries sign several agreements of cooperation and Memorandum of Understanding in various areas. | The Sunday Mail