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Former Energy and Power Development Minister, Fortune Chasi, has weighed in on the COMALISO Blueprint for Privatisation of Zimbabwe’s electricity value chain. According to Chasi, the blueprint offers a well-structured plan to modernize the country’s electricity market, but its implementation comes with significant risks that need to be addressed.
“Zimbabwe’s electricity sector faces a deep and persistent crisis, marked by outdated infrastructure, unreliable supply, financial insolvency, and constrained investment,” Chasi said. The COMALISO Blueprint proposes a phased transition from a state-led monopoly to a competitive electricity market capable of attracting private capital and delivering reliable service.
Chasi highlights the blueprint’s strengths, including its clear diagnosis of the sector’s challenges and practical reforms drawn from global best practices. These reforms include legal amendments to the Electricity Act, Power Purchase Agreements, cost-reflective tariff models, grid wheeling frameworks, and incentives for renewable energy expansion.
However, Chasi also cautions about potential risks associated with privatization in Zimbabwe’s governance context. “Privatisation in low-trust, high-risk governance contexts can produce elite asset capture, regulatory capture, and market monopolisation unless transparency, anti-corruption safeguards, and judicial independence are strengthened,” he warned.
Chasi emphasizes the need for safeguards to protect vulnerable consumers and ensure a just transition. “A market-driven, cost-reflective model, if applied without protective mechanisms, could deepen Energy Poverty, especially for rural and low-income households.” To mitigate these risks, Chasi recommends reinforcing state regulatory capacity, safeguarding vulnerable consumers, embedding anti-corruption measures, climate-proofing the energy strategy, and meaningful public and stakeholder participation.
Ultimately, Chasi believes that privatization can play a role in resolving Zimbabwe’s energy challenges if done transparently and equitably. “Privatisation alone is not a panacea — but if done transparently, equitably, and within a strong governance framework, it can play an important role in resolving Zimbabwe’s energy challenges,” he concluded.
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