Business Reporter- The government has launched another presidential scheme focused on solar energy, drawing immediate comparisons to Wicknell Chivhayo’s infamous multi-million dollar Gwanda solar project, which never saw the light of day.

State media reports that the new initiative has begun with installations at 400 houses in Harare, where solar panels are being laid on rooftops to generate power to be sold to Zesa and fed into the national grid.

The project, it says, involves renting and installing solar panels on rooftops in Harare, starting with a pilot project in Glen View.

Homeowners, the state media says, will receive a token of appreciation for their participation.

The pilot project is being rolled out by the Zimbabwe Solar Energy Company (ZISEC), a subsidiary of Prevail Group International (PGI), in Ward 30, Glen View suburb. Standard contractual arrangements have been agreed upon, allowing ZISEC to recoup its investment over the life of the scheme and make a fair profit if they are efficient.

PGI chairman Paul Tungwarara announced over the weekend that the program is underway. “The Presidential Solar Scheme has kicked off. This project is being executed under ZISEC in conjunction with Prevail Group. We are generating solar power from rooftops and feeding the electricity into the grid to eradicate load-shedding in the areas where we are installing the solar system,” he said.

Tungwarara added that initially, they are targeting 400 houses and training locals to install the solar systems as a way of creating employment.

Landlords will also be given a token of appreciation for contributing electricity to the national grid.

As this new scheme unfolds, many are reminded of Chivhayo’s failed Gwanda project, which promised significant contributions to Zimbabwe’s energy sector but ended up mired in controversy and unmet targets.

The public remains skeptical, wary of another high-profile solar initiative that might not live up to its grand promises.