On September 4, 2014, the Ground Breaking Ceremony of Kariba South Power Station Extension Project was held in Kariba by the Zimbabwean government. H.E. President Robert Mugabe, Senior Minister of State Honourable Simon Moyo, dozens of Zimbabwean cabinet ministers, deputy ministers and secretaries, members of ZANU-PF Politburo and Central Committee, Chairperson of ZESA Holdings Dr. H. Murerwa, General Manager of Sinohydro Corporation Limited Mr. Liang Jun and more than 500 guests attended the ceremony.
Mr. Lin Lin, Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, was invited to give a speech at the ceremony. Ambassador Lin said that the Kariba South Power Station Extension Project has the financial support from the Chinese side, and a well-known and experienced Chinese company as contractor, whichtruly reflects China-Zimbabwe friendship and cooperation. He believed that the experts and technicians from both China and Zimbabwe will make joint efforts to achieve a high-quality project within the construction period, and help alleviate the power shortage and bring tangible benefits to Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwean people.
Ambassador Lin added that China and Zimbabwe are all weather friends. The traditional China-Zimbabwe friendship is the common treasure of the two countries, which are cherished by both sides. At present, China and Zimbabwe are both at an important stage of national construction, which has brought many new opportunities for the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries. Zimbabwe ranked first in Africa to attract Chinese Foreign Direct Investment in 2013, which reached $602 million and covered a wide range of areas including agriculture, manufacturing, construction, mining, tourism and so on.
Ambassador Lin congratulated President Mugabe for his successful and fruitful state visit to China, which promoted both political mutual trust and pragmatic economic and technological cooperation in many fields. During this visit, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China is ready to work together with Zimbabwe to carry forward our traditional friendship, strengthen cooperation in various fields, and continue to be good friends, good partners and good brothers with equal treatment, mutual support, mutual benefit, win-win results and common development.
Ambassador Lin stressed that China and Zimbabwe share similar historical background, enjoy profound traditional friendship, and face the common task of social and economic development and improvement of people’s livelihood. China is ready to work together with Zimbabwe to push forward the comprehensive and in-depth development of the bilateral relations, and to further benefit the peoples of both countries. As President Xi put it, China will continue to stick to principles, uphold justice, and firmly support Zimbabwe in safeguarding its national sovereignty, security and interests of development. The two sides should maintain high-level exchanges and enhance inter-party contact. We should strengthen the exchanges of experience in state governance and administration as well as in reform and opening-up. China will support Zimbabwe’s efforts to implement Zim Asset, to develop the economy and improve people’s livelihood. China will continue to cultivate construction talents for Zimbabwe, discuss with Zimbabwe the cooperation pattern and financing channel of reciprocity and mutual benefit, and transfer applicable agricultural technologies to help Zimbabwe increase its agricultural output and income. China is ready to take part in the construction of Zimbabwe’s special economic zones and industrial parks, lead the cooperation in infrastructure construction, mining industry, manufacturing industry and other fields, and encourage more Chinese companies to invest in Zimbabwe.
President Mugabe officially launched the project and spoke highly of its importance for Zimbabwe’s energy supply, social and economic development andeconomic empowerment. He also expressed his sincere gratitude to the Chinese side for funding the project, and welcomed further support and participation from the Chinese side on the development of power infrastructure in Zimbabwe.
The Kariba South Power Station Extension Project is to increase its current 750 megawatts generation capacity to 1050 megawatts by the addition of two generating units of 150 megawatts each. The project is supposed to be completed by the end of 2017, and will provide the much needed peaking power and alleviate power shortage in Zimbabwe. The Exim Bank of China provides a Preferential Buyer’s Credit Loan of $319 million to finance the project, and Sinohydro Corporation Limited is the contractor.