The Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) has started electrification of 500 grass thatched houses in Indeco Compound of Kabompo district in the Northwestern Province.
North-Western Province ZESCO Regional Manager Alex Mbumba said ZESCO is electrifying the Indeco Compound under its social responsibility programme, and the 500 households to benefit will not be required to pay anything towards electricity connections.
He said so far the power utility company has completed erecting the main-stem for medium voltage line and 63 households have been connected to power.
He said the whole idea of the project is to put into practice the ZESCO mission of making people’s lives easier through connecting them to electricity regardless of their status.
“This is an area in Kabompo which is mostly a village set up with quite a number of thatched houses. In there we decided to put our mission into practice as ZESCO, which is “Making People’s Lives Easier”, and so we looked at the status which is normally overlooked that is more of low class,” he said.
The Manager said the electrification of Indeco Compound is a pilot phase and the project is expected to be rolled out to other districts in the province.
He said 63 households that are connected are already using electricity for lighting for studying, watching television and refrigeration.
“We feel that this is how we will impact in terms of this type of class. Of course with Northwestern, this is the first project and we are hoping that in the long term if we learn from this project we can begin to roll out to other districts,” Mr Mbumba said.
Please send 12 firetrucks there. Those thatches are about to be lit!
I commend this idea, its long overdue. If similar thatched houses in tourist resorts are electrified, what prevents us from bringing development to these poor areas.
After Kabompo spread the idea to other areas.
I dont know which Tourist Resort you visited…Folly of the highest order when you electrify its not only lighting like lighting in Chalets…its cooking as well and this is where you have a problem and corners are cut with cooking directly on elements!!
These houses in the touristarea are build properly,not like the huts in the bush…..
Its shame these foools at Zesco dont get lawsuits filed against them…which Technican in his right mind wont certify this?
yes NEXT IS SOUTHERN PROVINCE , AND WESTERN BUT IN PF AREAS WE SHALL EMPOWER OUR PIPO WITH BRICK WALLED HOUSES AND ELECTRIFY FOR FREE
We are fed up with ZESCO giving excuses for not carrying out electrification jobs for reason of being short of material A or B. They know the scope of works and the minimum stock levels and time for “order and receive”. When they connect to one thatched house then they make press statements to qualify that. When applying you are given time limits within which to pay fully but on their side their period to supply is limitless depending on who is being serviced against the limited materials in stock.
Viva HE ECL for this project. Finish electrifying the 6.5 provinces first where people voted for you and end with the kalubale and Bantu Botatwe provinces and the so called Barotse land should even be lit as they claim they are independent from Zambia.