By Patience Gondo
The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) has dismissed as false a widely circulating social media claim alleging that Government intends to impose a tax on domestic solar systems, saying no such levy exists or is being considered.
In a statement on Thursday , ZERA described the viral message as a “malicious article devoid of any truth,” saying the public should disregard it.
ZERA said the rumour was engineered to mislead households at a time Government is accelerating the rollout of clean, affordable and accessible energy nationwide.
ZERA said the Government’s recently launched National Energy Compact aimed at achieving universal access to energy by 2030 actually prioritises the expansion of solar systems, not taxing them.
“The State has already put in place mechanisms to ensure increased adoption of renewable energy so that no one and no place is left behind.” ZERA said.
In line with that goal, ZERA outlined incentives currently supporting the solar sector, including duty free importation of solar equipment, professional training for solar installers to strengthen industry standards, and net-metering regulations that allow households to feed excess energy back into the national grid.
“These measures show Government’s commitment to expanding solar energy access, not burdening citizens with levies,” said ZERA.
ZERA told the public that there is no levy, no fee and no charge required now or in the future to own or install a domestic solar system, saying that the false claims circulating online run contrary to national energy policy.
The authority has encouraged citizens to rely only on official communication channels for accurate updates and warned that misleading information undermines national development efforts.
ZERA has urged the public to ignore the false article and continue taking advantage of Government’s clean energy incentives as the country pushes toward reliable and sustainable power for all.
For official updates, ZERA directed citizens to its verified platforms.
In Beitbridge the rumour was circulated largely by anti-government activists who flashed it across social media groups.
It dominated discussions on the Progressive Residents WhatsApp platform where some used the statement without a source to attack government.
“It is from some activists wanting to discredit Government. It must be ignored,” Matabeleland South Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Albert Nguluvhe said.