Power utility firm Zesco has announced a reduction in load shedding hours from minimum 15 hours to between 10 and 12 hours daily countrywide on a rotational basis.
This is due to the full resumption of generation at Maamba Collieries Limited following the repair and restoration of the generating unit that was out of service for some time.
“The Corporation is therefore happy to announce that it has reviewed the situation and has made the decision to pass on the benefit to customers by slightly reducing the hours of load shedding”, said Zesco Public Relations Manager Hazel Zulu.
Mrs Zulu said ZESCO will continue to review and monitor the water levels at the main reservoirs as the rain season progresses and will provide updates to the public accordingly.
She has however appealed to customers to employ energy efficient and conservation initiatives such as switching off lights when not needed and switching off electrical appliances when not in use as well as consider using alternative sources of energy where possible to help equitably share the available electricity.
In a statement, Mrs Zulu has further advised customers to report any outages outside their load shedding hours which may be attributed to faults.
Yawn…..what difference does it make….12 hours without power is alot of time especially during day time
That’s not news you failures
How does that help production in industries that work 08h00 to 17h00? You can rest assured the GDP and company profit projections have been diminished by the power outages. The effect of the outages on the economy will be calamitous with shrinkage in economic growth.
It is to ZESCO’s advantage to restore normalcy in power supply. The units we use per week is lasting over a month
so what?
We ve heard that in certain parts of Lusaka, there is no more load shedding for the past 5 months
Muleikalafye. I was not addressing you pumbafu
We dont want to hear reduction in
loadshedding but No more load shedding.Zambian economy needs
a boost.
Restructure yourselves the way Zamtel is restructuring itself. We can not afford as citizens to be lumped up with your abnormal operating costs all the time. MD can u not learn from Zamtel? IDC where are u?
We are not in Kariba. Tell us the progress in terms of water levels.
It is imperative.
What restructuring ismoriband Zamtel undergoing? Kindly update us to clear our negative perceiptions.
Its my first time in my life to see and hear a business organization, a company whose main aim is profit making advising its consumers to reduce on consumption of its service or goods, only ZESCO does that, why should people conserve energy when as business venture you supposed to produce more to counter the demand.
Zambia needs to find alternative electricity sources. Investing in Solar Energy is one alternative, as we have sun shine most parts of the year. If Countries like Denmark, Sweden etc. that are in regions where sun shine is rare/on very short term basis can invest in such why not a country like Zambia. The question of cost should not arise as we have already seen funds being spent on Presidential Jets, Firefighting trucks, unnecessary trips by Government Officials. Other means through which Zambia can raise money to fund such Projects is as follows;
1. By reducing the number of Members of Parliament, through merging of most of the constituencies in each Province. We do not need all these MPs; the number is just too high. (1 MP from each district/Town/City will be enough ), it is all about…
Cont……
1. By reducing the number of Members of Parliament, through merging of most of the constituencies in each Province. We do not need all these MPs; the number is just too high. (1 MP from each district/Town/City will be enough ), it is all about saving measures apa
2. All Positions of Ministers be abolished and let the Ministries be supervised by Permanent Secretaries
3. Reduce the number of the Army by freezing further recruitments, as we basically as a Country will never go to a war, never
4. Abolishing of the Zambia National Service (there is no reason the Country is having the ZNS just a drain in the State coffers)
5. Reduction of Presidential trips both abroad and within to only 2 twice a year for the local trips. As for trips abroad these have to be sanctioned by…
Cont……
5. Reduction of Presidential trips both abroad and within to only 2 twice a year for the local trips. As for trips abroad these have to be sanctioned by Parliament
This way funds to invest in Solar Energy will be available. THANKS
Why were you not paying Maamba Colliers their money? If you were paying them we wouldn’t have landed ourselves in this situation, mukazilipila nkongole.
Loadshedding. It is just ZESCO’s way of getting free salaries for no work. Right now only their football team turns up for work since loadshedding doesnt affect the grass on the pitch.
These days we cant tell the difference whether its load shedding or a fault. Even when you call them to rectify a fault they cant because of load shedding.
In the Spain ,USA and in Germany including other Euro areas and south Africa nearer there is policy to replace coal fired power plants like kafusha has hinted there by 2050 because they are not reliable means of supply of electricity at least cost to the citizens and economic sectors
Time to continue reinvesting in alternatives for long-term performance of those capacities unreliable
This is pathetic!
A working government. Sela tubombeko. Some in opposition are now gnashing their teeth to this positive development. Why can’t they ever be happy when things are going well for the country? Are these the people you want to trust our resources with? 2021 we trust the Zambia people will do the right thing for the 6th time. Kz
You must be on medication whose side effect is foolishness or you are taking marijuana. This is the worst govt in the history of Zambia, no vision at all.
Aba beve ni aikona man!
Too late! I have had to shut down my small industry which i have run for 22 years. During mwanawasas pf all the way to rbs the business boomed and production was at its peak. We also bought most of our equipment than. We employed most people than. Since 2011 our production has started going down and the first load shedding period of 8 hours per day in 2013 and the spiralling down of the usd from K7 to K14 our production halved but we struggled along for all these years. Finally the recent load shedding and now the ridiculous zesco tarrifs not forgetting the red tape ( napsa, zra, council) have finaly forced us to shut the business. We are officially closing 31st January.
Zambians must appreciate efforts by Zesco in executing a balanced act of conserving and selling power to households and industries. Given that climate change is real as seen in reduction of rainfall patterns, there is need for GRZ to institute long-term mitigating measures.
(1) Forests that cover sources of rivers (Chambeshi, Kabompo, Kafue, Kalugwishi, Lusiwasi, Zambezi etc) must be protected from activities of charcoal burning. Forests can capture the annual rainfall Zambia receives to enrich underground water that can sustain adequate perennial discharge of water to the rivers that generate power. (2) Agricultural practices must incorporate contour ridges to reduce run-off and floods and conserve soils. These two approaches can help raise water tables to increase underground water…
These two approaches of conserving vegetation cover over river catchment areas of major rivers and construction of contour ridges in crop fields can help raise water tables to increase underground water for use in boreholes/wells and ensure sustained annual discharge of water into rivers used in the generation of hydroelectric power.
However you should not also loose focus in achieving those miles stones in Transitioning the Energy from coal to those more reliable and climate resilient sources. In the global Energy Transition and Investments the Multi ultra mega Asset management firm Black rock has stopped funding investments in coal fired power plants, the Us,Eu and German have set target to disinvest and not reinvest in new coal power plants by 2038 there about Certain coal fired power plants have had to be cancelled and others for decommissioning
Now also we need to be like a small city of Austria in Australia that has emerged from massive load shedding and power deficits to achieve 99% energy…
security using a portfolio of different energy mix renewables apart from coal on the Grid
Now with that in mind we need also to be like India to reach electrifications res of 100% like Asia Countries at 99% electrifications well diversified Moving in the right directions and achieving faster electrifications like Kenya and Tanzania
So it should not end at reducing the load shedding number of hours by continuing accessing the USD 200 Billion worth of Energy Investments Sustainable
April 2020