Energy Minister, Mathew Nkhuwa has said that Zambia will next week start importing power from ESKOM at a cost of $13.5 million. Mr. Nkhuwa further disclosed that with the inclusion of transmission charges the cost will go up to $21 million.
Speaking in an interview with ZNBC News today, Mr. Nkhuwa said that the importation of power from ESKOM will cushion and reduce on load shedding hours from at least eight to six hours.
Mr. Nkhuwa said government will continue engaging various counterparts to address the power deficit affecting the country.
Meanwhile, Transport and Communications Minister Mutotwe Kafwaya says normal to above Normal rainfall is expected for most parts of Zambia except for the north-eastern areas of Isoka, Chama, Mpika, Mbala, Nakonde, Mpulungu, Chinsali, Mungwi and Lundazi districts which are likely to receive Normal to Below Normal rainfall.
Mr Kafwaya says in November, December and January the southern half of the country is likely to receive Above Normal Rainfall while the northern half has a high chance of receiving normal to above normal rainfall with the exception of the north-eastern areas where there is a likelihood of Normal to Below Normal rainfall.
He said in December, January and February there is a high likelihood of receiving Normal to Above Normal rainfall for the southern half of the country while the northern half has a high chance of recording Above Normal Rainfall.
Speaking at a media briefing, Mr. Kafwaya said in January, February and March, the northern half of the country has a high chance of receiving Normal to Above Normal Rainfall while the southern half is likely to received Normal to Below Normal Rainfall.
He said this part of the season will be characterised by reduced rainfall due to dry spells around February.
Mr Kafwaya however said there is a likelihood of dry spells around February especially over the Southern half of the country.
Go back to 4 hours, it’s manageable for households…
Idyots at it again. $21 million exaggerated pricing, to give away to South Africa so they pay for damages from their barbarian acts.
We expected to read that South Africa is paying $21 million to Zambian PF government for all the shiit.
Not please. Its better to stay in the dark for 12 hours than to import power from South Africa. Lets import from Mozambique. They have excess at Kabara bossa because of cyclone Idai. They offered to increase capacity by opening the spillways a bit more to increase capacity. Why not move in that direction instead?
South Africa is also supposed to be experiencing loadshedding but they have sorted out the problem. We should be asking ourselves how did they do it while we languish. Can we sell the presidential jet so we can buy power?
Dear Zambian govt, it would be unwise to import power from South Africa at a time when our other allies are in bitter diplomatic disputes with SA over the recent spate of xenophobia. This is a signal of weakness on our part. Where shoprite or pick n pay leave, there can be a wallmart. Where SA banks leave, there can be another bank. Are we so dependent on SA such that even when they are misbehaving we still do business with them? Come on mother Zambia stand your ground, send a strong message to those people. Zambia needs China, USA, Europe, India as friends, SA is just a lynch worm that sucks from neighbouring countries to enrich herself. This deal just proves that. $21million? Hell no!
Yet more debt by ZESCO…populist thinking. They can’t afford it but still go ahead…. They need to manage their affairs better. They still haven’t paid for the power from Mozambique, now this…. Katwishi eko tuleya…
Fyalungula South Africa reopened the nuclear power plants they had closed. that’s how they overcame the power deficit
Nuclear power is the way to go
Let’s boycott electricity from the xenophobic uneducated murderers.
LMAO nah we are u very selective people.
But you are saying the Government has no money to pay contractors who are suffering and considered as second class citizens.Where will the money for power will come from?
Very interesting considering Eskom currently has big problems and load shedding may soon start in South Africa.
We are on one hand demonstrating
Xenophobia and ready to import
Power from them.Its desperation
Which makes us go back To them.
Eskom itself doesn’t have electricity to export. This is just another gimmick to take more money out of the country.
Who told you Eskom doesn’t have electricity? Trash their business and embassy demonize everything South African. And now with your tail between your legs and your begging bowl. May a right thinking Zambians explain to me how uneducated barbarians can sell electricity to civilised educated sophisticated people? Please educate me. I’m just a boiler maker with a trade certificate at Eskom ensuring all the turbines don’t leak at Kusile Power station in Mpumalanga, SA. I know you guys have PhDs in whatever. Is it difficult to produce electricity for such small population?
What is irony…Lol…Yaba we were trashing their embassy just a day ago and now we will be importing their electricity from an equally bankrupt Power utility company in Eskom South Africa. I can’t stop but laugh at our lack of planning in Zambia by ZESCO.
In the shorterm its sustainable but a workable long-term strategy in the IRP plans for energy sector will be very important A a least Cost approach in the base load will be helpful in supporting GRZ agenda of economy return without hurting the prospects of the GRID and the utility as more people switch to DER off the grid with increased tariffs The current single energy mix strategy our utility is exposed to will forever call for pass on tariffs increments and load management when climate calls The tariffs increments or pass through to clients will forever be a decision but ultimately the Grid utilities and the sector will be losers in the long-term So working out the sector to increase…
Nuclear power is the way to go
the sector to increase participation in DER and on the GRID without privatization or moving towards a grid company is a plus The volumes of coal generated power is also expensive and a reliable source
not a a reliable given the conditions and coal requirements for those contracted capacities it better energy security “secured in robust mix created and invested that imported for now it can keep the industries and job numbers but we can create more in diversification of the mix in renewable s themselves and savings made
This Minister of Energy does he research or consult before he makes his statement.
First he suggests that canals be constructed from Congo River to feed water into the ‘Might Zambizi’ ( not so mighty after all), without looking at it critically in terms of the terrain, cost benefit, other options etc – feasibility .
Today he is talking about importing energy from SA. Zambia is in so much debt economy is on its knees and Countries are considering closing business with SA, the Country has no money except for Eagle one’s travels. I cannot understand this Minister. He wanta to add to the already bloated debt? Let him do a thorough investigation on matter before he opens his mouth
Which countries want to “close business” with SA?
Can’t import from Mozambique because all the $13.5million payments will be confiscated to pay our $500m debt that we owe them. So no choice but buy expensive power from Republic of Xenophobia.
If protecting our kids and society from being turned into prostitutes and drug addicts from Nigerians makes us xenophobic, then we are happy. We rather be isolated with our electricity and investments than let ourselves be molested by our so called African brothers from Nigeria whom Zambians have decided to side with them
Something missing in this report or is it the ministerial statement which is economical with information? So how much electricty quantity is $13.5million?
@13 Junior JJ, THAT IS THE CONCERN,it appears again someone is using the power crisis to steal and defraud Zambian!!
The Minister is right in his measures in the short term only but in the near to longer term it becomes unsustainable Smart methods like efficiency lighting in LEDs as opposed to the faithful Thomas Edison Zambian electricity lighting market can save more
Savings could be as high as 20 USD or an annual amount of USD 240 equivalent of Zesco Units The benefits in Savers and shift to other cooling and lighting methods outweighs the short-term importation from Eskom LEDs light efficient Savers and other efficient heating and cooling methods will save the cost of this meagre amount of power Even then climate and supplies including reliability of the plants for the supplying utility…
utility in the next coming (due to climate and rains) months may make the case for importation tricky So its time to work with efficiency methods and quicker DER in the short term to improve energy needs
But if you can also make a return on the importation you weigh your chances and maximize but its clearly a public good decision and the Political economy in the energy sector can move a little bit towards some transition looking at the cost of power wheeling and capacity charges
90% of Eskom employees are black the so called uneducated barbarians in Zambia, but they produce electricity for SA, Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Zambia. They must be the most uneducated smart people in the world.
@Tshepo whom I’m sure is posting as Sipho and is white: stop misrepresenting facts. Eskom does not produce electricity for those countries. It produces power for South Africa and at certain times sells to the countries you’ve listed. At other times it buys from the said countries.
Since you work for Eskom just check and you will find that at certain times Eskom in turn buys electricity from Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and DRC. Presently these countries are experiencing drought so they can’t produce enough power. Energy needs and production fluctuates
@Tshepo I hope you can understand the difference between producing for and SELLING.
We support all this countries which claims to have more educated people than us, it’s a Mistry really. At the moment South Africa is the Europe of Africa, hosting all African countries citizens including Asia. If Zambians wants to protect Nigerian drug dealers, let them invite them to their country and will see if they will let them turn their kids into drug addicts and prostitutes because that is what Nigerians are doing in South Africa
Now the rain forecast, why was it not announced by the government agencies which always announce as experts? Are President Lungu’s ministers looking for relevance?
I remember before load shedding the minister told us on behalf of the professionals at Zesco that there would be no load shedding as water was “still coming” to fill up the dams.
PF is same difference as HH and his UPND.
The only difference between PF and UPND is that because one is in government they have access to national resources and can boast of delivering development but the truth is that UPND would do the same and boast the same obvious things if they were in government.
But alt least PF’s Edgar Lungu chose Mama Inonge Wina as running mate while UPND’s HH chise GBM, the ultimate corruption machine, remember his Zesco pole supply contracts? Alelya mwibala GBM.
I think the need for power is important and should not be underestimated but the concern is the cost of that energy capacity and wheeling The events that have led to the power outages are outside the powers of the minister or the ultility Zesco but could be mitigated Eskom is a bigger mega utility in installed capacity compared to Zesco at-least well diversified in power generation though coal heavy or thermal and as in the SAPP member utilities act to Balance the power needs of fellow utilities according to rules of the regional SAPP Its not about what is and who is who i think we are not in those small minds
The concern is how does the minister increase the mix and installed…
Importing power from a xenophobic country! My foot. I need Zesco to send me timetable indicating time when it is supplying imported power from South Africa. My household is boycotting anything from South Africa and so I will be load-shedding my household when zesco is supplying power from RSA. Please join me in this boycott.
Lying to yourself is a psychological disorder.
Then brace yourself for 100% unemployment in Zambia
I don’t want power from SA, buy from Mozambique and tell the president to cancel his trip to SA for the economic forum. Does that mean South Africa had more rains than Zambia during the last season, why can’t we take decisive measures and look at alternative sources of energy?
No more going to RSA for politicians for medical tourism.
@Smart Person
Fact 1: 95% of electricity consumed in SA is produced in South Africa. The other 5% is imported from Namibia (Ruacana Hydro power) and Mozambique Cahora Bassa Hydro power).
Fact 2: Ruacana Hydro was built by SA money when South West Africa(Namibia) was a Mandate C (Hope you know that pert of history).
Fact 3: Cahora Bassa was built by SA and Portugal. Mozambique only own Cahora Bassa hydro now late with the help of the same demonised South Africa ( Please read: Dams, displacement and delusion of development: Chora Bassa and its legacies in Mozambique 1965-2007 by Meisser Richard.
Hope this will help
Hey stop comparing apartheid South Africa with Namibia and Mozambique. We didn’t ask you to come occupy our country!
I think the need for power is important and should not be underestimated but the concern is the cost of that energy capacity and wheeling The events that have led to the power outages are outside the powers of the minister or the ultility Zesco but could be mitigated Eskom is a bigger mega utility in installed capacity compared to Zesco at-least well diversified in power generation though coal heavy or thermal and as in the SAPP member utilities act to Balance the power needs of fellow utilities according to rules of the regional SAPP Its not about what is and who is who i think we are not in those small minds
The concern is how does the minister increase the mix and installed…
I think the need for power is important and should not be underestimated but the concern is the cost of that energy capacity and wheeling The events that have led to the power outages are outside the powers of the minister or the ultility Zesco but could be mitigated Eskom is a bigger mega utility in installed capacity compared to Zesco at-least well diversified in power generation though coal heavy or thermal and as in the SAPP member utilities act to Balance the power needs of fellow utilities according to rules of the regional SAPP Its not about what is and who is who i think we are not in those small minds
The concern is how does the minister increase the mix and installed…
I would rather our government spends those huge sums of money to control the food situation, than on power. We can do away with electricity but we can’t do away without food.
Backward, uneducated people, to supply electricity to Highly Educated, PHD, Doctrates nationals.
Remember this, your wise educated minister, requested help from the fool.
Also, boycott the local business that import from SA. Leave no stone unturned.