Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation has continued to be condemned in Sinazongwe District for failing to connect power to rural Schools following the payment of about K1.1 billion.
The Head Teachers from Kariba South Primary School and Siansowa middle Basic School told ZANIS that the absence of power has retarded development at the institutions.
Kariba South Primary School Head Teacher Jolezya Mweetwa disclosed that
K52, 564,000 was paid to ZESCO in 2005 to connect electricity to the School but the institution has failed to do the work.
Siansowa middle Basic School Head Teacher Mweemba Chiwala said K62, 035 was paid to the institution in 2004 through the loan that government got from the African Development Bank (ADB).
Mr. Mweetwa said the Kariba South School was funded by Zambia Social Investment Fund (ZAMSIF) a branch that was formed under Finance and National Development Ministry to promote developmental activities and to reduce poverty levels in rural areas.
He said the School was also supposed to have tap water but there was no power to run the pumps and the facility was not in use despite paying money for its installations.
Mr. Mwetwa said teachers and pupils were forced to drink water from the borehole which is near the toilets because they have no source of clean water.
The Head Teacher pointed out that the School acquired three computers but they were not being used because there was no power.
“Lack of electricity has affected the performance of the pupils at the School because they want to study at night but there is no power,” Mr. Mweetwa said.
He said several follow ups have been made to ZESCO management to have the power be installed at the Schools but the instution has failed to come to their aid even when money was paid in advance.
Kariba South Deputy Head Teacher Ruth Chiwala said lack of electricity has affected evening classes to reduce on the high levels of illiteracy in the area.
Siansowa Middle Basic Head teacher noted that installation of power to the rural areas could reduce mass exodus of teachers to the urban areas.
“It is one of way of motivating teachers to remain in rural areas, as things are the community is bitter about the failure to connect electricity to the School,” Mr. Chiwala said.
A check by ZANIS at the two Schools found that wiring was done including the teachers houses.
Last months Sinazongwe District Development Coordinating Committee (DDC) condemned ZESCO for retarding development in the district when money was paid to the work.
[ZANIS]
Go to Lusaka & stone the burgers,thats the only way they listen
LT, I thought this is a repeat story! Last month something like this appeared on this same blog???????
shame! that money must be paid back with interest, thats how projects fail pazed, ZAMSIF projects has a time limit when you fail to finish the project in a stipulated time they’ll withdraw so this simply means ZESCO has failed this school. Now mr Head how can you keep a computor when you have no power? how did you retire this money to ZAMSIF is no work was done by ZESCO? the anticorruption must visit ZESCO together with the school administration, how possible can ZESCO chew the cush without doing the job?
#2 jst read, what do you lose? do you pay them any coin? stories cannot fade they jst became boring to read, but if you missed it last time then read it today if you saw it last time then ignore, after all it’s a new story.
LT please edite your blog. Check the amount of money the institution was paid in 2004 quoted above K62,035. Is it correct?
This is just very unacceptable!!ZESCO chaps wake up?how the hell do you fail to connect schools?how do we promote ICTs in the rural schools?pliz help govt attain MDGs.
#6 Don’t you know that ZESCO is government. It is the failure of their own making. MDG attainment or not means nothing to them. Zambian government is fake.
I gave the money to gov and the other part i funded MMD. Sorry bane i will make up for the delay.
Again sesiko,this is nonsense,follow them up.