Republican President Edgar Lungu has encouraged mining companies to use alternative sources of power for their operations in view of the ongoing countrywide load shedding.
President Lungu was responding to a question on some mining companies that are suspending operations on account of low power,shortly before departure for Ndola at City airport this morning.
President is on the Copperbelt to commission the US$400 million Dangote Cement plant in Ndola later this afternoon.
The cement plant, which has an installed capacity to produce 1.5 million tonnes of cement per annum, has been equipped with a 30 Mega Watt power plant.The cement plant commenced production in May this year.
The President is accompanied by vice president Inonge Wina, Inspector General of Police Stella Libongani and Patriotic Front officials.
Meanwhile Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) has certified Dangote cement compliant with the specified Zambia standards following the inspection and audit of the production process at the cement plant.
He is obviously not the sharpest tool in the box.Is he saying mining companies should come up with their own alternative sources of energy? I think the government should come up with alternative sources of energy because they (supposedly)will have the Zambians interests at heart.Leaving this to companies whose main aim is to create profits for shareholders will see them come up with cheap toxic ways of energy generation…Think baba think!
They just know how to create bye elections, de-campaign opponents using derogatory language and line up a myriad of lies. If you are looking for something better, something special, nothing comes out of them. What a curse!
I am sorry but this is unacceptable his he saying that the Mines should fire all those hard working men and women because of government incompetence? Because that’s what happens when a business cuts production people get fired. The president needs to start thinking perhaps use his brain or maybe employ intelligent advisers mu State House who would surely guard against such silly utterances. And to think that this man is the president of the republic of Zambia..what a shame 🙁
I have a suggestion for you Lungu, please buy a lot more Life Jackets because this time the PF boat is sinking without its captain (MHSRIP). Alungu sure….??
Ok I support his excellency on this one. They can com up with mini powerstations. This can reduce the pressure that ZESCO is feeling right now and reduce on load shedding
And Queen Antoinette said “Let them eat cake”.
Listen up Zambians!
When dictatorship is a fact, Revolution is a duty……
HAhahaha, Sunday Chanda PF media Fimo fimo tell me now, who sounds more like Chama Chakomboka now? HH needs to rebuttal quick. Lungu keeps tripping himself, staggering on policies…..
Lungu is a true Chipuba! Mines need power in hundreds of megawatts. As these PFools have found out, you need years to develop power stations with such output, not overnight. Mines are not in the business of power generation. And this is the first time in 50 years that mines are not guaranteed 24/7 power and Zambia will be worse for it. Truly, Lungu should have remained in Chawama where such kachasu – addled comments can pass, not State House.
Yes Mr Jamasoni, let them use malasha.
Shallow thinking! Which alternative source of power is sustainable & better than hydro Power?
1. Coal Powered power plants are too costly to run. Coal mining is expensive as we only have Maamba.
2. Nuclear power is strictly controlled & is too high tech for Zambia to afford. Too dangerous to run (Remember Chenoybil in Russia)
3. Wind Power requires hectares & hectares of land to install wind turbines & power generated may not be strong enough for mining purposes
4. Solar Power like wind power also need hectares & thousands of panels & batteries posing health hazards fron used acids. Power generated can not be used for mining purposes.
Alternative sources of power (3 & 4) are only suitable for domestic use in order to free excess power for use by big industries.
5. Thermal Power is also too expensive because u need to burn thousands of litres of fuel posing environmental & health hazards. So which alternative source is he talking about?
Oh! I forgot he meant mines to start using Charcoal as source of power which action leads to further deforestation. Deforestation leads to reduced rainfall which leads to reduced water levels at Kariba Dam but increases load-shedding. He must be enjoying load-shedding then! Where is he leading us to , Abyss?
This man is clearly lost at sea. How we did we end up with such a leader?
Life of Pi Singh Patel. After a long time on the sea, he is going to be seeing things that are not there (like a mad person), hallucinating.
The price of cement should be reduced coze another plant is commissioned.
The price will —- GO UP !!! —- because they have had to build their own power plant to run the factory!
Zesco and PF have failed the Nation.
And Jamesoni Lungu is clueless on how to fix the problem.
We must just IMMEDIATELY PRIVATIZE Zesco 100%. This is the only way we can stop these clowns in PF from appointing the incompetent and useless carders that earn salaries and do nothing!
LET HIM TELL KAINGU TO OPEN CBU!!!
Ya ya ya I voted for you thinking you’re a young man at who can move the country forward but the way have seen you manage, I think you don’t deserve my vote again. Maybe this time I should try this HH. Ba Lungu am disappointed to say the least.
Continue enjoying your ifintu ni Lungu power failures. If you could not discern the low calibre of Lungu in January, I cannot see how you can wake up from your stoopidity.
The man is lost in the wilderness. As for me that’s a careless talk from a CEO. Running a mining company isn’t small like running a home where you easily switch to mbaula when power cuts off. Please Mr president show concern and productive to this zesco problem.
Then it’s all solved, right Mr. President?
Just use “alternative sources”. Easy. Like how everyone now uses candles and charcoal at home, the mines just need to make a plan.
Great to know you have the energy thing under control. Right?
I predict the Zambian economy to grow by only 5.2% this year from the 5.8% forecast by Ministry Of Finance.
The PF is showing signs of gross economic incompetence. Frankly at least someone must stand up to this.
The Zambian economy should contract. The PFools’ economic mismanagement will result in less copper being produced, less manufacturing output, and less farm outputs (try running centre pivots with mbaulas as Lungu is suggesting). The mines have a double whammy because copper prices have collapsed to almost 2008 levels.
This can’t be true I think he was just joking!
Nawakwi-Fdd said someone needs Alangizi is that so??
Economics made simple. Nawakwi is right, he surely needs a mentor and teacher.
@Joe, isn’t RB already mentoring Lungu? Ifintu nkashi nafilungula … Voting for visionless leaders really has negative consequences but will Zambians learn? Kaya, kaya…
This is truly laughable… What alternative when a mine needs more than 30 Mw..does he mean mines should import from neighbouring countries and give them much needed forex like FQM is doing in Botswana!!
So simplistic. Isn’t this level of reasoning enough for impeachment? If it’s not throw away the constitution and lets start living like animals. This is Chikwanda’s recommended person for Presidency. What a bunch of jokers. They should all be arrested for misrepresenting and fraud by giving as Lungu before each and every one of them is tried for corruption.
“President is on the Copperbelt to commission the US$400 million Dangote Cement plant in Ndola later this afternoon.” But ZNBC also reports he is here to attend the funeral of the four miners burried at Mopani.
Just wondering why alot of importance has been attached to this funeral considering motor vehicle accidents kill more pipo(10-60) at once. But no such importance is shown by GRZ. Yet amonst the dead cud be Doctors, lecturers, even miners. Hasn’t GRZ helped enough by several visits by Kashimba Chimbwili, 1st lady, other ministers & daily rations of bread, butter, milk, sugar, m/meal & relish since 20th July. Is it not cos 1 is Kambwili’s nephew? Or it’s platform for early campaigns?
Transport costs be given 2widows. They can still appreciate. All jobs are risk.
It serves Zambian’s right for electing to high office a guy whose expertise is The Beer Hall.
I’m Not U.P.N.D, but H.H, would have by far been the better option.
APA PEVE’ MU NAYITAYA BA ZAMBIA!
Am shocked to say the least. So he means that they should put up a plant to sustain there operations? How much will that cost? what is the role of Zesco?
instead of constructing social roads GRZ could have invested heavily in power generation as the returns are almost instant.
But we are fools as Zambians. Honestly you can’t understand the presidents idea for alternative sources of energy. That is why we are lagging behind in development. You are all saying he should not say that BUT nobody has said what he was supposed to suggest to the mines. Please what is your suggestion on these power cuts
Lungu mudala are you kidding us? Honestly speaking you really don’t deserve to be the President. I think maybe Sampa would have been a very good option. 2016 ulimbe mudala serious!
Guys let’s get real – it is actually not the responsibility of govt. to provide power to the mines or other businesses. Dangote being a clever businessman knows this – unlike you armchair critics and your mines who have nothing to account for – all the decades that they have been siphoning out our copper.
@ Observer are you OK? Not the responsibility of Government to provide electricity when Government has a monopoly on electricity supply through ZESCO? Really?
@ Muntu, about Sampa, the choice of a frog is looking pretty good to me. At least it wouldn’t eat so much, need new suits, or have to be paid.
It is not rocket science to ganerete Electrict ,to some Zambians who have not been exposed my be .To those exposed it simple .and more over there will be more worke creation. If the Americans travelled 10 billion mild in Dutch of new planet, whate about just producing electricity?
a Zombie for a president. Its shameful to call you HE.
Finally u r talking awisi mwana !!!!! They should have been independent of ZESCO 10,000 yrs ago !!
Edgar is ill informed – when did zesco know that they will be POWER DEFICIT? why didn’t they raise the RED flag earlier?. . And in the same breath!!! the President is saying privatize zesco.
I PROPOSE that the President constitute a TEAM OF EXPERTS (ask EIZ) to come up ways to mitigate the power deficit – looming economic disaster.
opening up the energy sector to private sector zero rate all equipment for alternative energy is one such emergency measures that ought to be put in place proto.
Just last week, his minister Yaluma was reassuring the selfsame mines now his equally dull boss is talking about alternative energy sources surely as a tenant or investor would you really be comfortable in such an unconducive and unstable environment?
Ati ‘ifintu ni Lungu’! Kwena niba president aba ye! May be he was drunk! Minus thinking he just speaks like he is talking to a prostitute in a chawama beer hall!
Observer you are ignorant,it is the duty of the government to provide these important services to the mines.Mines pay taxes which government is supposed to use to ascertain which areas need to be provided for the mines to access the minerals.Mining is not a small business like cement manufacturing where you can say they should put up power plants,yes they can put up power plants on a small basis not a large scale,as there core business is mining.If government is serious they can bring in investors in this sector using the would be investors to partner with Zccm/Zesco.It would even make sense to borrow for setting up power stations be it caol,HFO,solar or wind
Doosha Kalaba – Not correct, you are the one who is ignorant. The mines do not pay tax so that govt. provides them electricity – they are like any other consumer. Power generation and distribution is a business, and open to investment.
Confirmed we have a psychiatric patient at State House. Please God why do we end up with such as country all the time. Late Sata mat have been uneducated but could seriously have given hope to Zambians.
When did the mines ever become energy companies? ALungu do you realise that if they become energy companies which is not their core business ZESCO and CEC will loose revenue and therefore retrench the large workforce. And only a handful of these will be taken on by the mines. So you want the mines to take on investing in large power plants at huge capital cost. And what alternative energy are we talking here? Diesel? Solar? Nuclear? I wonder how much that would add to the cost of production and whether our mines will sell the metals at prices that are higher than London metal exchange. I think as president don’t just be in a habit of making blanket statements like this one as though ni nkani ya mumoba when you taking some Jameson whiskey. Give proper guidance and govt support available
I guess there comes a point where society has to decide between backwardness and progress, will zambians wallow in primitivity as comes from this s t u p i d president or choose an alternative route that involves sound reason, hard work and progress.
So people were really expecting some sense or problem solving capability from uncle dizzy? Zambians are delusional. LOL ati ifintu ni…LOL jokers.
Ati Ifintu ni Lungu. You don’t know whether to laugh or cry. Chikopo. He probably thinks solar panels can power the mines. All the brains in zambia and we end up with such a man as HE. Am confused. I wonder how this man passed his law degree with such thinking. Please zambians vote wisely in 2016. We cannot continue with such a clueless leader.
Observer ulifutu wapelele mugrade shani…..read….Mines pay taxes which government is supposed to use to ascertain which areas need to be provided for the mines to access the minerals.I don’t mention electricity,it’s the governments duty to provide an enabling environment for mines to conduct mining activities.You are myopic ask Zesco how they were provided with a loan by FQML to build transmission lines since government didn’t have the money.Do you think it makes business sense to build a power station for say 1 billion and spend another 1-3 billion on developing a mine.Absolutely not that’s why it is government through this useless Zesco that is supposed to do that.Incase you never knew government is the owner of Zesco so if Zesco slumbers government fails
This time around you have put a very dull mad president in state house because that statement is very irresponsible where hell does he think that mining companies can produce power from? S.t.u.p.i.d
I think Zambians needs to wake up a bit, be less blinded by politics and think through strategies. What your President is saying is the smartest thing any other leader in Africa is advocating for. The challenges for energy is not just a Zambian thing, read South African newspapers they talk about loadshedding everyday, sames as Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana amongst many.
Now an admission to say we cant have mining companies close on bases of energy shortage takes a lot of guts from perspective of government.
All the govt does is formulate tax incentives for setting up energy generating units. Sadly most dont realize there are highly powered independent power units that not only generate enough energy for the mines but as well for surrounding communities.
Useless id!ots! Update your bogus site sha!!! Pany0panu tunfikala!
I am totally shocked!