Has Zimbabwe already awarded the Batoka project to General Electric?

Zimbabwe and Zambia have already awarded the tender for the multi-billion dollar Batoka Gorge Hydroelectric Scheme, according to Bloomberg news.

The State-controlled Herald today reported that President Emmerson Mnangagwa met General Electric Officials in Maputo yesterday but did not mention that the American company had won the tender.

Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube who attended the meeting said GE was very serious about investing in Zimbabwe.

United States financial news agency, Bloomberg, however, said Mnangagwa told the agency in an interview on Wednesday that GE and its Chinese partner Power China had been awarded the tender.

“Zambia and Zimbabwe have agreed on this project. We have all agreed that we give it to GE — China Power and GE together,” Mnangagwa told Bloomberg.

“It’s critical that we move fast on that front because it’s necessary that as we industrialize that we need electricity.”

The news agency said GE said it would appoint a final developer by September.

Other bidders shortlisted were Salini Impregilo of Italy and a joint venture comprising Three Gorges Corporation namely China International and Water Electric Corporation, and China Gezhouba Group Company Limited.

Bloomberg said that while the project will address electricity shortages, it’s on the same river — the Zambezi — that has left the Kariba hydropower dam downstream too empty to function at full capacity.

Zimbabwe is currently experiencing massive load shedding.

Mthuli Ncube has since posted the Bloomberg story on his twitter handle indicating that it should be true.

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