The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), through its technology arm Powertel, is aggressively implementing a new transformer and anti-intrusion system across the country to combat rampant vandalism and ensure real-time monitoring of critical electricity infrastructure.

The initiative, revealed by Energy Minister July Moyo during a post-cabinet briefing, aims to equip 47,000 transformers with camera alarms and sensors, with installations at 108 monitoring sites already successfully completed.

The high-tech surveillance system is a crucial step to mitigate the losses incurred by ZETDC due to theft and vandalism, which have often plunged communities into darkness and disrupted essential services.

The real-time monitoring capabilities will enable swift detection of intrusions and deployment of rapid response teams.

In a broader push to address the nation’s energy deficit, Minister Moyo also highlighted Zimbabwe’s drive to attract private sector investment to deliver an additional 2,200 megawatts (MW) of new power by 2030.

Several private power projects are already underway, poised to contribute to the national grid.