By Advent Shoko | ZiGoats
Harare is considering reviving its dormant power station and developing dedicated solar power for water operations as the city searches for ways to reduce the cost of supplying residents with water.
The proposals emerged during discussions on the Harare Water Strategic Plan, where Mayor Jacob Mafume challenged management to move beyond identifying problems and develop practical solutions that can be implemented.
The push comes as electricity costs put mounting pressure on the city’s water production system, raising questions about how Harare can maintain essential services without allowing operating expenses to become unsustainable.
Consultant engineer Kumbirai Kashangura’s strategic report found that electricity accounts for 56% of Harare Water’s production costs.
“That is unsustainable,” Mafume said, warning that the city could not afford to ignore the financial pressures facing its water operations.
Could Harare’s Old Power Station Return?
One proposal is to resuscitate the redundant Harare Power Station to provide dedicated, potentially cheaper electricity for water production.
The proposal comes as Zimbabwe’s power utility, ZESA, works to repurpose three ageing thermal power stations in Harare, Bulawayo and Munyati after shutting them down because of deteriorating infrastructure and rising operating costs.
The plants, with a combined installed capacity of 240 megawatts, stopped generating electricity between July and September 2023. The government announced in November 2023 that the stations would be decommissioned and repurposed, with the formal decommissioning process under way by February 2024.
In a development reported on 19 November 2025, ZESA acting chief executive Cletus Nyachowe said work to modernise the stations had started at Munyati, where the utility was changing boiler technology and exploring a closer coal supply from Sengwa in Gokwe to reduce transportation costs. Bulawayo and Harare were next in the planned programme.
The city is also considering a solar power plant specifically for Harare Water, alongside dedicated electricity lines and negotiations for a special tariff for water services.
If implemented successfully, these measures could reduce the water system’s exposure to electricity price increases and power cuts, while helping the city better manage its operating costs.
However, the proposals would need to be supported by detailed assessments of rehabilitation costs, solar generation capacity, financing options and the time required to bring the infrastructure into operation.
The available information does not establish whether funding has been secured or provide a timetable for implementing the projects.
Mayor Wants A Plan That Delivers Results
Mafume said the strategic plan must be more than a document prepared to satisfy council requirements. Management, he argued, must take ownership of its implementation and be accountable for the results.
He called for a “bankable, implementable plan” that translates the findings into practical interventions.
The distinction matters because identifying high electricity costs is only the first step. The city must still determine which investments are financially viable, how they will be funded and whether the savings will justify the expenditure.
Harare Water also faces other operational challenges, including water losses, chemical costs and sewer infrastructure pressures.
Mafume warned that efforts to address these problems would remain undermined if the city failed to tackle the underlying cost of electricity.
What It Means For Residents
For residents, the central question is whether the proposed changes can help Harare deliver a more reliable water service over the long term.
Reducing electricity expenses could free up resources for other essential operations. But cheaper power alone would not resolve every problem affecting water availability, distribution and infrastructure maintenance.
The city would still need to address water losses, maintain treatment facilities and distribution networks, and ensure that its investments can be sustained financially.
Reviving the old power station and developing dedicated solar generation could offer Harare greater control over one of its largest operating expenses. Their value, however, will depend on whether the proposals move from strategic discussions to funded and measurable projects.
For now, the challenge facing council is clear: turn the cost diagnosis into a workable energy plan that protects water operations without creating another expensive project the city cannot sustain.
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