Friday, March 29, 2024

It’ll take 9 weeks for the Victoria Falls Water to Reach Kariba Dam, President Lungu is told

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Zambezi River Authority Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Munyaradzi Munodawafa has told President Edgar Lungu that the High volume of water seen at the Victoria falls will take nine weeks to reach the Kariba dam.

Speaking when President Lungu made a tour of Kariba Dam to understand why it is not operating at full capacity, Mr Munodawafa said that high water level recorded at the Victoria Falls in Livingstone have not yet reached the Kariba Dam.

Mr. Munodawafa said even when the water levels increase in Lake Kariba the Authority will not allow the two power utility firms to use more than the allocated cubic liters of water for this year.

Mr. Munodawafa said the idea is to reserve water for next year’s use in an event that the dam does not receive enough water due to the effects of climate change.

He also said even when the water reaches the Kariba Dam it will not be sufficient to generate the required electricity.

The ZRA Chief Exective Officer also informed the President that the high water levels which were recorded in Chavuma did not all reach Kariba because part of it was used to fill the flood plains in Western province .

And Speaking after listening to the presentation by Zambezi River Authority, President Lungu said government is investing in other sources of energy in order to address the power challenges.

President Lungu said there is also need to look after the environment in order to avoid effects of climate change. The President said part of the reason why the rainfall pattern is disturbed is because of poor management of the environment. President Lungu said the investment made in the energy sector will soon start yielding results.

And Energy Minister, Mathew Nkhuwa urged people to take interest and visit the Kariba Dam. He said it is not fair for politicians to mislead the public that the water levels have risen at Kariba when in fact not.

Mr Nkhuwa said it will take more than three rain seasons to have the required water in the dam. He said once the Kafue lower and Batoka power projects are worked on, they will help in reducing load shedding in Zambia.

Later, President Lungu toured the Kafue lower Gorge power station which is under construction. The power station is expected to start generating power before the end of this year.

President Lungu getting an Arial view of the Water draining into Kariba Dam
President Lungu getting an Arial view of the Water draining into Kariba Dam
President Lungu at the Kariba Dam
President Lungu at the Kariba Dam
President Lungu at the Kariba Dam
President Lungu at the Kariba Dam
President Lungu at the Kariba Dam
President Lungu at the Kariba Dam
President Lungu at the Kariba Dam
President Lungu at the Kariba Dam

44 COMMENTS

  1. This what leaders ought to do. Go in person, extract the truth and understand what is happening.
    Akainde sees water gashing at the Victoria falls and start blurting that he will fix ZESCO. He does’t even know that there is ZRA that regulates the use of water by Zesco. His brainwashed cadres were also busy cheering from their empty heads. We have problems in this country.

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    • @Sungwe
      If it wasn’t for the same Akainde you are teasing your president would not have come out of State House to check why power generation is still low.
      “Bally will fix ZESCO” has already achieved results

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  2. Kariba Dam is not new and people keep asking same question. Managing water has always been the game at ZRA but what we are forgeting is that the demand for power and water upstream has increased leading to less inflows even when there is above normal average rainfall in the entire catchment area. All the new mines in North West and DRC need both water and power. And this is the main reason. Visiting the dam will not help. We must have a long term plan for power and water supply. In fact for the entire economy. The structure of our economy does is not right and we must revisit every sector and see how to restructure. We are year in year out fire fighting… Sound suggestions are accumulating dust in offices while majority are suffocating in the dust. We are a resource rich country with…

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  3. The structure of our economy is not right and we must revisit every sector and see how to restructure. We are year in year out fire fighting… Sound suggestions are accumulating dust in offices while majority are suffocating in the dust. We are a resource rich country with poor execution of ideas. We must get the basics right!

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  4. Due to coronavirus:
    It takes 9 weeks to impregnate a woman, the PF President told.
    It takes 9 weeks for rain drops from clouds into Kariba dam, the OF President told.
    And he believes!!

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    • First thing fix your brain to default setting, then fix in so proper and suitable software, then fix the broken economy together.

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  5. You have the answers to your queries ba diaspora who care too much about what is happening here and yet ran away.

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  6. @Eye of an Eagle

    The problem is same for Zimbabwe.
    Population has increased 10x but Kariba and Victoria Falls have no expanded.

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  7. Look at Edgar Lungu’s face, I feel sorry for him it’s like a grade one pupil given a grade 9 exam. Guy is clueless.

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  8. The answers given to the President are not satisfactory. Just because he’s the President doesn’t mean they can’t lie to him.

    How come there’s no mention of the turbines in the story. The Chinese turbines are a problem And that’s why they are diverting the water and creating these stories.

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  9. 1) We need to revisit this outdated agreement with Zim that only Zimbos can be CEO of Zambezi River Authority. We need to alternate.

    2) Someone let Musonda know that the mask must go OVER the nose.

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  10. #3 Razor, care to read and not umungulu you are exhibiting. ZRA says it will still regulate the amount ZESCO uses even after the water at Vic falls reaches Kariba Dam. You are the chaps the white people refer to when they say, if you want to hide anything from blacks, write it down in a book

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  11. But for years we have heard the same story of diversification of energy sources and it’s all been empty rhetoric. So people are satisfied with this answer and it is now simply time to sit back and still wait for the rains to fill up the dam? The PF govt. even initially cancelled the Kafue Lower Gorge project when they came to power. Today they talk of lack of funding to finish it, when it should have been up and running in 2017 – having been commissioned by the MMD govt. It seems everything the PF regime touches turns to dust!

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  12. Look at these mo’rons with their masks under their noses! Including the POLICE who were crying out for PPE as if they know how to use the stuff. Pathetic!

    Do these people not imagine the virus can go in an out of their “nose holes”? Honestly, where could they have gotten such a du’mb idea that is how to wear a FACE mask?

    Oh wait… maybe they got the idea from the “hon” Minister of Health who wears his mask like that all the time setting a terrible example for the nation? Clearly the rot begins at the top and Lungu should be ordering people to wear their masks right – basically, they are all endangering the President!

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  13. Does the state house minister have to go everywhere with the president? The president and the energy minister are the only two people that should have been on this fact finding trip. In fact the energy minister should have been the only one, then he should have given two reports, one to the president, and the second to his real employers. The Zambian people.

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  14. Thank you for the information, meanwhile can zesco drop the tarrifs back to what they were in December as the whole reason for increasing the tarrifs by 200% was that they will be no more load shedding. Therefore it’s only fair that if you want to continue with load shedding than the tarrifs should be dropped.

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  15. But zoona these guys are thieves, now they have even stolen the water from Victoria Falls! Yaba

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  16. Its lockdown but this Lazy thing doesn’t want to stay in State House instead wants to tour around…

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  17. @Nzelu

    Ball’s campaign talking POINTS are diminishing pretty quick.

    SA’s minister in the president is a guy called Mthembu, he is everywhere.

    Trump’s is his son-law etc
    These guys are in fact ministers without specific portfolio, they are President’s personal assistants.
    OUR Sikazwe is above a minister. Plse just watch who sits next the president at State House.

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  18. Bwana the Kariba power station is not the only power plant on that river. Does it also take 9 weeks for that same water to reach the Victoria falls power station?

  19. Water moves day and night. I wouldn’t expect it to take 9 weeks. It’s simple maths really (speed=distance/time), even my 4 year old boy wouldn’t believe this.

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  20. RAINBOW Party leader Wynter Kabimba says he is living with a sense of trepidation about the COVID-19 pandemic because there is no hope coming from leaders.
    And Kabimba says if the Patriotic Front continue using the COVID-19 pandemic to campaign, there will soon be a catastrophe and they will have no one to vote for them in 2021.
    In an interview, Kabimba lamented that there was no demonstrated leadership during such a crisis in Zambia. – Diggers

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  21. @Break News: That ka 1% vote briefcase opposition leader Kabimba can take his balls to hell. No one is interested in his opinion or bonethrowing cr@p. He doesn’t even have a single ward kwitole lyakwe. Above are pictures of the president of the Republic of Zambia working with his technocrats. Above is the president of Zambia who will serve until 2026 and choose his successor. Amasushi yamu upnd mu twale ukokwine…

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  22. Whatever diasporan twits say here, Zambia needs more power plants-THAT’S THE SOLUTION. No “bally” or party will “fix” this. Since the 70s, no party has sorted this problem. PF in power for 9 years, Kafue Lower almost finished, Batoka on the cards, Maamba up and running. 2021, Chagwa nafuti nafuti…

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  23. Iwe Munodawafa keep these lies in Lungu’s ears only because you can’t kid us. Nine weeks yakuti

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  24. Connect a pipe with booster pump from Victoria falls to kariba dam.That will fill kariba in two days.
    We have all excuses from zesco.

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  25. I’m surprise that there are still some people believing grade 4 lies of faulty turbines sure!!! Let’s grow up and start focusing on nuclear energy and what to do when we have a draught . I have seen on ignorant comment here that it’s the rains that drop from the sky direct into the Kariba that fills it up lol..kikiki

  26. “For 103 years, Boeing has been dedicated to making the world a safer and better place. Our founder, Bill Boeing, established our first safety council in 1917, the first full year of the company’s existence, beginning a commitment to safety that we have carried forward as a core value ever since.”

    “Mr. Chairman, I know that you and your colleagues have many questions about the 737 Max. My colleague John Hamilton, chief engineer for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, and I will do our best today to answer them.”

    “Today’s hearing is an opportunity for this Subcommittee to examine the U.S. airline passenger experience, hear from stakeholders on ways to improve this experience and consider how Congress and the airline industry can foster innovation to benefit the flying public.” Rick Larsen…

  27. “For 103 years, Boeing has been dedicated to making the world a safer and better place. Our founder, Bill Boeing, established our first safety council in 1917, the first full year of the company’s existence, beginning a commitment to safety that we have carried forward as a core value ever since.” “Mr. Chairman, I know that you and your colleagues have many questions about the 737 Max. My colleague John Hamilton, chief engineer for Boeing Commercial Airplanes, and I will do our best today to answer them.” “Today’s hearing is an opportunity for this Subcommittee to examine the U.S. airline passenger experience, hear from stakeholders on ways to improve this experience and consider how Congress and the airline industry can foster innovation to benefit the flying public.” Rick Larsen U.S…

  28. @chisebwe “President Lungu getting an Arial view of the Water draining into Kariba Dam”-LT

  29. Last week they said that they can not reduce fuel at the pump even when it’s so cheap on the market because Zambia has limitless millions of gallons of old stock.

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  30. Not an issue for PF, by the time water reaches Kariba dam, and load shedding starts to disappear, it will be campaign mode. Bumper harvest will also take away the campaign talking points for Bally.

    That will only leave him with ‘corruption’ and ‘integrity’ songs which he has no evidence of. Before he knew it, he will be fronting the ConCourt again complaining of rigged elections. ConCourt will dismiss his complaint and the police will squash his attempts to riot. It will be dejavu and the script will repeat itself all over again. PF is set for life. Kz

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  31. We have confidence PF and lungu will be told the water for kariba will now take 1 year to reach kariba because of covid 19.

    , we are also confident that even with a full end to load shedding , the damage done to the economy is beyond them.

    They had their hopes on the results from the gassing of our people to hoodwink the country and deflect attention from the high prices and taxes.

    We surely hope for the end of load shedding to show lungu still has no plan.

    They are hiding behind load shedding.

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  32. Ba Nkhuwa as if you had once talked about water being channelled from Congo or Luapula rivers into Kariba. Can you kindly update on the progress. You can even inform me secretly as an individual please i will not tell others.

  33. But why does Lungu speak with all his ten fingers pointing all over in the air? You bet he means “f**k you 10 times”! Chagwa ni Mambala number 1.

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  34. Sikufele, the CEO of ZRA will always be Zimbabwean by agreement because headquarters are in Lusaka. We cannot have both the headquarters and the CEO. Same with Tazara where headquarters are in Tanzania- the ceo has always been Zambian.

  35. Just Politics : a govt caught in between humility and hubris
    The people voted for the Patriotic Front government simply because most of them believed that the PF would form a government for the poor, and the downtrodden. In fact, the late president Mr Michael Sata was seen by many as a man who came from a humble beginning and could relate with the poor and the forgotten. Therefore, in 2011 the PF won a decisive victory promising lower taxes, more jobs and more money in people’s pockets. Unfortunately, Mr Sata would not live long enough to see his promises delivered to the Zambian people. Whatever your opinion may be of the late president Sata, one thing is clear that the man is a significant figure in our political history with some who think highly of him and others who despise him…

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  36. You are just lying sir. You told us In march 2020 the Dam would be full and now you are saying after 9 weeks which is 2 Months from today. This means mid July is when water will reach the Dam…but wait, by this time the dry season will be approaching and water in rivers and lakes will have receded. MMM guys, it means there will be no water in the Dam. Please just tell us the truth. Is the dam leaking or what?
    Can some one find out whether the Kaborabasa Dam in Mozambique also has no water in it because it is on the Zambezi river.

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