Power utility company Zesco has announced that load shedding hours will revert to a maximum of 12 hours per day instead of the 15 hours experienced in the last 10 days.
Zesco Public Relations Manager Hazel Zulu says generating unit 2, belonging to one of the country’s Independent Power Producers, that was taken out for maintenance on 7 April 2020 has been restored.
Mrs. Zulu sais this implies that the 132 megawatts that were lost for 10 days has been reinstated into the national grid.
She has thanked customers for their cooperation and patience and urges them to continue employing energy-efficient initiatives such as completely switching off appliances when not in use, migrating to the use of energy-efficient lighting, and using gas for cooking, to mention but a few.
Mrs. Zulu said these power-saving initiatives will reduce household bills and contribute to protecting the environment.
UPND Leader Hakainde Hichilema recently charged that there is something not adding up in the manner in which ZESCO is being managed.
In a Facebook post, Mr. Hichilema called for a complete audit of ZESCO’s operations.
“There is no doubt that Zesco is one of the biggest problems we have in Zambia. Without stable and consistent electricity power supply in the country, all our plans for economic resuscitation will be doomed,” Mr. Hichilema said.
“Here is the company that was one of the beneficiaries of the biggest chunk of the borrowed Eurobonds, but in a catastrophic failure to the nation, yet they increased electricity tariffs with the promise of better service.”
Ain’t you even ashamed to say reduced to 10 hours?
Please respect voters.
Govt must seriously consider to restructure Zesco in order to unlock Zambia’s electricity generation potential. At the moment Zesco is a major stumbling block. Zambia can produce electricity for the region from various sources; we enjoy good sunshine the whole if we want to go solar, we’ve many water bodies that can support hydro power, vast land for windmills, we’ve uranium and Cobalt 60 for nuclear. We just don’t have brains
….Or else they will vote you covid-19ly.
come 2021. mxshm
Iwe Hazel…we want to hear the truth about Kariba not ubo bufi ulebepa. We have had lots of rains in 2020. The Zambezi is full and the Victoria Falls has never seen the volume of water being experience to day. The Kafue River and itsbasins are flooded with water. Where is this all water going to? Imwe bantu mulebako serious and tell the truth? Bushe CHI KARIBA chalitulika ?
I don’t think the turbines are functioning. They broke down two years ago.
Rubbish, and who do you expect to start celebrating this nonsense?
And the power we bought from ESKOM ? Tell us kabili .
2hrs of load sheading is bad for the economy. 10-12hrs will completely kill what’s left of the ailing economy. Kariba dam is full. Meaning that there should be no load shedding. But load shedding will continue because the government will continue to export power in order to generate revenue since the treasury coffers are empty. Debt servicing and corruption are to blame for all this. PF was once warned about careless borrowing. Now the effects are beginning to show. Government has bo plan to get out of this one.
Really laughable…2 hours
Zambia needs a private company to set up a countrywide power supply company so that ZESCO can remain with its cadres, sad how an important parastatal can become so irrelevant.
And Where is Mathew? The minister of Energy. He was bubbly bubbly when he was announcing the purchace of power from ESKOM. But after that the guys igone quiet. May be he is also fighting COVID 19 in his constituency. But Nkhuwa we need power to effectively fight covid.
There’s definitely something these people are hiding about the state of the Kariba dam. Tell us the truth, not the rubbish of low water levels
Yes, as the work progresses to increase capacity we will slowly start to see improvements. This is wonderful work ba zesco. I was today even reporting to the president about the state of affairs in relation to power supply in the country. This is good development. Those in diaspora will criticize things which they have not even experienced. We call them internet wannabe zambians
Even if there was capacity to supply constant electricity to all, load shedding is so normalised in Zambia, ending it would feel alien. Bad habits die hard.
NDELOLESHAFYE!!!!!
It’s unacceptable.
It’s taken too long increase capacity to the now larger population of Zambia. When I was young and right through to my teen years, we never experienced power cuts in Zambia. People have been too patient. When I visited Zed, I experienced load shedding, it’s unacceptable. It’s become like a right for ZESCO. Do people get compensated? It’s a failure of service. Enough money has been thrown at ZESCO.
WHAT’S GOING ON WITH OUR WATER AND POWER? FIX IT PERMANENTLY!
ZESCO is just trending like its shareholder the government, very poor performance. Clear incompetence. I am not sure if we have opposition that is ready, but for these colleagues of ours in government failure is very visible, But what shocks anybody sane is the desire to come back in 2021, to do what after 2021 in the midst of crystal clear failure. I feel sorry for these souls really
Nothing to announce better to keep quiet. Poor workmanship who can believe your words
Disciplinarian, “rubbish of low water levels at Kariba dam”.
Now that sounds typical of underfive knowledge, if you don’t believe Zesco go ask Zambezi River Authority, they are the custodians of Kariba dam.
Kanyandule, you are spot on. Surely if you have failed its time to hand over to others, unless
1. You are too daft to recognise failure, or
2. You are hiding something, or
3. You fear the consequences, which typically in Africa is a spell in congested jails or spend the rest of your life not enjoying “your wealth” but appearing in court as a full time occupation until you retire to your grave.
But really 3 is not necessary if you retire willingly.
To reduce from 15hrs to 12hrs is a very big achievement for zesco.Its like
No loadshedding .They are only good
At increasing tarrffs.
If 132 is equivalent to 5 hours, does it mean when the new Chinese build that is 750 will result in no load shedding . We will have excess to potentially sell too?
KZ na chisushi ni same same ku nyunka
“….She has thanked customers for their cooperation and patience and urges them to continue employing energy-efficient initiatives such as completely switching off appliances when not in use, migrating to the use of energy-efficient lighting, and using gas for cooking, to mention but a few…..”
We told the PF lead GRZ some 3 years go to start a solar power manufacturing industry, but because they are no kickbacks that roads give , they were not interested
Drunk3n State, lead by Drunk3n Dancing thieving leaders!
Zesco should be ashamed of yourself.
Am PF and I live in P.H.I where we don’t experience any long load shedding but closer neighborhood ( Mtendere) Citizens are being punished for having excess load shedding.
Zesco workers,board members and even ERB are very lucky otherwise you would not be even there because they have been an abject disappointments.
Zesco ma light. Keeping the nation powered. Thank you.
Zesco is loadshedding us yet they still want us to save in electricity, where do they want to take the extra savings on the electricity? Are those who benefit from us being loadshedded still want more?
This company is too much politicized it’s failing to be professionally operated.Please let’s remove politics from Zesco.
Mrs Hazel Zulu, the only way to make your company work is to remove the board and management and restructure the company. You will be more useful giving us daily briefings on restructuring Madam
Clueless Lungu and his minions are complete failures who need to be voted out and imprisoned next year. How can you develop as a country like this? These empty heads can’t come up with a solution for years. Electricity is supposed to be supplied 24/7 if any meaningful development is to be attained by a country. And yet this woman unashamedly announces that load shedding will be reduced from 15 to 12 hours, as though that’s a tremendous achievement. Please throw all these clueless people out next year. Otherwise, Zambia will continue to deteriorate into despondence, misery and darkness.