No More Load Shedding in 2018, says ZESCO

THERE will be no load shedding throughout 2018, Zesco public relations manager Hazel Zulu has assured.

Ms Zulu said current water levels at all its power generating plants were sufficient to provide consistent electricity supply throughout the year.

And Zambia National Farmers Union has also made the same assurance to farmers.

ZNFU media and public relations manager Kalvin Kaleyi said after a committee meeting held at the Union’s Secretariat in Lusaka on Thursday, ZESCO assured that there would be no load shedding in 2018 because there was sufficient water to generate power.

“ZESCO explained at our joint meeting that the current voltage profile was good and that the country has adequate power generation capacity owing to the good prevailing water levels,” he said.

There had been concerns over whether power supply was going to last until the end of the year and whether the country had enough water in its reservoirs to generate electricity.

But at the joint meeting it was reported that as at mid-July, the water levels stood at 86.2 percent full for Lake Kariba, 96.9 percent full for Itezhi-Tezhi and 96 percent for Kafue Gorge.

Mr Kaleyi said ZNFU should be able to plan and strategize for farming the coming season with the assurance that there would be consistent power supply.

“This will bolster production and improve national food security,” Mr Kaleyi said. Poor rainfall in previous agricultural seasons affected power generation as a result of low water levels in the three dams where power was generated by ZESCO.

And Government has handed over rural sites to the contractor for rural electrification project in Itezhi Tezhi district in central province.

ZANIS reports that the K4, 892,352 Rural Electrification Authority (REA) project will extend electricity to eight public facilities covering six rural schools and two health facilities in Shimbizhi and Kaingu chiefdom.

Itezhi Tezhi District Commissioner Hedrick Kaimana who officiated at the handover ceremony at Nkakabangwe Primary school , yesterday, said government is determined to deliver electricity to all rural areas countrywide.

Mr. Kaimana said that government remains committed to the target of electrifying rural areas of the country as envisioned in the 2030 vision.

Mr Kaimana urged all stakeholders in the district to cooperate with REA as it implements the project.

“Government is going to spend a huge sum of money to realise this project, I therefore urge you to guard the infrastructure jealously against vandalism and sabotage as it is indeed for your benefit” Mr Kaimana saidThe Rural Electrification Authority (REA) awarded ZAFFECK Investment limited, a local firm, the contract for the supply and installation of power lines and associated transformers.

The project will create employment to people during its course and appealed to the company to employ local people and to complete the project within stipulated time.

The works will commence on 25 July this month and the whole project will last for 40 weeks.

The areas to be connected include Nkabangwe, Iyanda, Kalundu,Ikonkaile, Nahubwe ,Bushinga and Itumbi Primary schools.

Others are Bushinga and Kaanzwa rural health centres.

Meanwhile a pupil has thanked government for the project aimed at connecting rural schools to the national grid.

Samuel Phiri said that Nakabangwe School was among the newest and fastest growing school in the district.

“The coming of electricity to our school is the coming of modernity and technology” Phiri said.

He said that the project shows government’s fulfilment of its promises it made to its people.

Phiri said electricity will benefit the school because they will now be able to use computers, study at night and be able to carry out laboratory experiments that require electricity.