Thursday, March 28, 2024

President Lungu dates Southern Province to Commission the Kafue Gorge Lower Hydro Power Station

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President Edgar Lungu is tomorrow expected in Chikankata District of Southern Province to Commission the 750 Megawatts power generator at the new Kafue lower power generation station.

Southern Province Permanent Secretary Joyce Bwacha has confirmed the President’s Visit to ZANIS in Choma today.

Ms. Bwacha said the President is expected to arrive at Kafue Gorge Power station by 09:00 hours tomorrow morning and then proceed to commission the Power generator at the new power plant.

ZANIS reports that the 750 Megawatts Power generator will address the power deficit that the country had been experiencing in the recent past.

Ms. Bwacha also said that commissioning of the power plant demonstrates the government’s commitment to ensuring that there is a stable supply of power which is key in driving the country’s economic development.

Four traditional leaders from Lusaka and Southern Province who have been part of the Project are expected to be among the dignitaries invited to witness the commissioning of the Power Generator.

President Edgar Chagwa Lungu (centre) flanked by ZESCO Managing Director Victor Mundende (right) and Kafue Gorge Lower Hydro Power Project Director Wesley Lwiindi (left) during the River Diversion Ceremony at Kafue Gorge in Chikankanta District of Southern Province on Wednesday,October 4,2017. PICTURE BY SALIM HENRY/STATE HOUSE ©2017
President Edgar Chagwa Lungu (centre) flanked by ZESCO Managing Director Victor Mundende (right) and Kafue Gorge Lower Hydro Power Project Director Wesley Lwiindi (left) during the River Diversion Ceremony at Kafue Gorge in Chikankanta District of Southern Province on Wednesday,October 4,2017. PICTURE BY SALIM HENRY/STATE HOUSE ©2017

According to President Edgar Lungu in messages posted on his social media pages, the project cost $2.3 billion and employed 4,000 Zambians, who worked alongside 578 Chinese expatriates and that the high level of expertise has empowered our local workers with new technical skills.

The president further said that among beneficiaries of the skills transfer during the project were students from institutions of higher learning, a cluster of human resources will benefit Zambia in future projects.

The President further said that another cluster of beneficiaries of this project were the local suppliers and contractors, who were engaged to provide various materials and services, including vendors around the project site providing food, airtime, mobile money services, and other daily essentials to the workers.

“These are the men and women that keep our economy running. I salute our workforce and our vendors at all levels, ” the President said.

45 COMMENTS

  1. A combined total of 4 578 workers were employed and I bet at least 50% will immediately have no jobs adding to the roaming jobless and the remaining 50% will on gradual basis continue being laid off until a sizeable maintenance team is retained. Come to think of it 578 Chinese “imported” to work on the project? For what specialized tasks if I may ask?

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  2. For those unaware, this was commissioned initially in 2011. When PF came to power, they suspended the project and it was unclear what happened to the funds. They resumed it a few years later after ‘looking for more funding’. Originally planned to have been completed in 2017. The PF is now ‘patting itself on the back’ after squandering some of the money and halting the project.

    Flash back 21st July 2011; “PRESIDENT Banda yesterday commissioned the construction of the US$2 billion Kafue Gorge Lower Hydro-electric Power Station which will add 750 megawatts of power to the national grid once completed in 2017”

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  3. Flash back 21st July 2011; “PRESIDENT Banda yesterday commissioned the construction of the US$2 billion Kafue Gorge Lower Hydro-electric Power Station which will add 750 megawatts of power to the national grid once completed in 2017”

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  4. Not a day passes without these comical proclamations of do goodness and progress. The country is broke and sold to the gooks. What nonsense. The last decade has been nothing but a shambolic failure. God help the innocent citizens.

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  5. Which Chief is this moron going to bribe now? Another infrastructure project strategically owned by the Chinks all these projects would have been completed 12 months ago but PF deliberately delayed them to coincide with elections next week this moron will be at KKIA as if he has already paid for the project with cash.

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  6. All these expensive hydroelectric are just one drought away to coming to a standstill…its laughable investing huge amount of funds on them when you can invest in weather proof Solar power farms

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  7. Well , well ………..

    This makes no sense sense….

    With all this infrastructure developments, lungu should not even be campaigning.
    Any body else would do the work do the campaigning…

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  8. Too much negative energy in here swallow it up guys the project is done in his tenure. That’s what we call leadership, the capacity and ability to deliver flagship projects needed to spur economic growth. Well done your Excellency!

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  9. The informed are of course aware hw the PF government delayed this project. They found all the preliminary work already done by the MMD government in 2011: negotiations, contractor selection and contract award etc. In his infinite wisdom and advised by wht many thought was the estimable Alexander Chikwanda, Sata cancelled the contract. Surprisingly, the same contract was awarded again to the same contractor and this time at a higher cost. Well done PF for showing Zambians the best way to govern and turning that into a vote-winning tool.

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  10. Fumanchu @ 1, that’s the nature of the construction industry. Once a project is completed, their work is done and workers become temporarily unemployed until they move to another construction project.

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  11. Everything done with help from China so at the end of day Its not
    Our achievement .When will we finish paying these loans? So all
    Proceeds from this goes to China
    As loan repayments.

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  12. So, what do you want us to do? If it was commissioned in 2017 , was the commission for completing the project or for starting the project? And is EL commioning the start of the project or the completion of the project? . Why do some people rant about everything. .kwati ninda??

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  13. On his Twitter account Edgar China Lungu claims that it is HIS government that started the project. BIG PF LIES. Rupiah Banda started it. And Edgar China Lungu also claims that loadshedding is now guaranteed to be a thing of the past. Yeah, right, until October when the next DROUGHT sets in!

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  14. @2-Muna: When PF came to power and suspended the project and it was unclear what happened to the funds??? So MMD GRZ paid the contractor a down payment?? How did the PF get a hold of that money??? Your statement makes no sense at all. Secondly, MMDs energy policy was pathetic. As far back as 2005, demand for power had ballooned due to increased mining activity and local housing/indusyrial construction. This project should have kicked off just after Levy got elected in 2006 and commissioned in 2011 as national priority but it is Edgar Lungu who prioritised it in 2015 after PF inherited MMDs power crisis and he has completed it.

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  15. UPND cadres will die of high blood pressure especially when they lose next month. You do not have to live your life with bitterness and hurt. In the end it is your heart that suffers. PF has completed projects that previous government failed. look at the Mongu Kalabo road, Kazungula bridge to mention just a few. While you are busy hurting other are busy succeeding. HH will come and sale all these. That is what he is good at.

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  16. This project should have been completed in 2017 but one wonders how the extra US$300million came about because that extra or excess fat would have been used to construct hospitals and schools around the country. Is this project a PPA or wholly owned by Zambians through ZESCO? I hope the equipment wont be failing us.

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  17. Hahaha….yaba, oh yaba! The pathetic upnd bab00ns now trying to call this project an MMD project. Mwefipuba mwe. It pains you so much that the Edgar Lungu led GRZ has delivered another major project to nation that will benefit generations of Zambians. Hahahaha….tafilibwino pa August 12…. hahahaha….

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  18. @5 Tarino Orange either you are a very dull chap or you are using other parts of your body for thinking. There is a very big difference between commissioning and operating. Lower Kafue has been operating since December last year that is why from then power rationing had reduced. Few weeks ago it started operating at full capacity. Stop blogging about issues you have little information on and about issues in the country were you do not live. You will just be looking more and more of an id!ot if you continue doing that.

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  19. Very good for Zambia. And all the experience of the 4000 workers and suppliers will be put to good use when we embark on the $4 billion Batoka Gorge Dam project. I’m confused why people are spewing venom for this accomplishment. Don’t let hate cloud your judgement, celebrate with Zambia and put hateful politics aside. It’s distasteful. @Tarino, your words will come down on your own head.

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  20. Some people are born haters with zero complementing skills.Kano nga ebo syndrome ikabepayaffye!!.Alot of projects became white elephants untill PF came into power.It was temparilly closed in order to appraise the project and then continued.Look at the way the privious government failed to construct Mongu -Kalabo road/bridge.VIVA ECLand PF!

  21. Manje they will open the gates and drain the little water there is in that dam. Ndipo this PF will leave the county in a mess by the time they are done with us; nimuuzani.

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  22. @ Independent and Harold Muna this project would have saved us better if it had been it had commenced before 2007 when the economy was doing relatively better. It commencing in 2011 would still not have helped in alleviating the load shedding that the country went through. You must however note that the project was never halted as such projects don’t commence there and then when commissioned for construction as they have to go through a rigorous design and testing process and period, including an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment before commencement which can take up to three to four years before the final designs are approved and the actual physical works begin. Suffice to say this country has been mismanaged for a long time otherwise the best time to carry out this project…

  23. This tribal party UPND has nothing to offer unless they see trbalist in state house.Please learn to appreciate.Govt has worked.Who told that MMD paid for that.PF came into power with a deficit of over 1800MW.Now we have added 2000MW.We have enough to appreciate.No wonder your party UPND can’t be led by anyone unless somebody from southern province.This UPND party has betrayed Zambians and people of southern province for preaching that Tongas are being mistreated just for the sake votes and keeping kalusa as a UPND president.Learn from PF when Sata died.YUPND made it clear that only a Tonga would succeed Mazoka.Why can’t allow such a party.

  24. This triiiibaaaaaaaaaal party UPND has nothing to offer unless they see triiiibalistttttt in state house.Please learn to appreciate.Govt has worked.Who told that MMD paid for that.PF came into power with a deficit of over 1800MW.Now we have added 2000MW.We have enough to appreciate.No wonder your party UPND can’t be led by anyone unless somebody from southern province.This UPND party has betrayed Zambians and people of southern province for preaching that Toooooongas are being mistreated just for the sake votes and keeping kalusa as a UPND president.Learn from PF when Sata died.UPND made it clear that only a Tooooooooooonga would succeed Mazoka.Why allowing such a party without agenda to the people

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  25. This triiiibaaaaaaaaaal party UPND has nothing to offer unless they see triiiibalistttttt in state house.Please learn to appreciate.Govt has worked.Who told you that MMD paid for that.PF came into power with a deficit of over 1800MW.Now we have added 2000MW.We have enough to export.No wonder your party UPND can’t be led by anyone unless somebody from southern province.This UPND party has betrayed Zambians and people of southern province for preaching that Toooooongas are being mistreated just for the sake votes and keeping kalusa as a UPND president.Learn from PF when Sata died.UPND made it clear that only a Tooooooooooonga would succeed Mazoka.Why allowing such a party without agenda to rule us.Sorry Alebwelelapo

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  26. Even to point out the fact that this project has been implemented at a higher cost than was contracted under the MMD is a mortal sin. Anyway, I fully understand who laid the ground which has created this attitude from some sections of Zambian society. But it’s not a topic to be raised now.

  27. The Project delivery has been achieved reasonably on time with little variations and change orders from initial CONTRACT AWARD It such a project of ultra magnitude that if not well managed could fail We expect more additions and in transitioning the Zambian Energy Mix because this will be a plus towards the Zambian economic growth and resulting sectorial Job additions We will expect more of such and lines and MVAs additions especially to those grid islands like Shangombo of economic Potential Jobs will also accrue in Generation,Transimission,Distribution ,Storage, Customer Services and other Support services for those with Innovative minds to take advantage of this increase in…

  28. @Kopala
    Kafue Gorge Lower power station and dam ………………..750MW at a cost of $2.1 billion
    Julius Nyerere power station and dam in Tanzania …..2,115MW at a cost of $2.6 billion.
    That is the purest form of corruption in Zambia.

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  29. Continued the best time to carry out this project would have been the nineties. Lets us be men and women enough to learn from Botswana how they have managed their country so perfectly using their limited resource base compared to ours as their is nothing to learn from South Africa

  30. Independent – Comparisons for such functions is not just a simple extrapolation: you need to provide all the variables for each of the two projects.

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  31. What a great leader he is! He cares for everyone, who voted for him and who didn’t. Everyone is equal for him and no one will be left behind in the journey to development and prosperity.

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  32. @FuManchu it is not necessary that you open your mouth to tell that you are dull. People can make it out from your face and nick name.

  33. @Harold Muna Why don’t you go out and find someone of your age to play? This is something seri-ous, which kids can’t even understand.

  34. @Independent When would you write something original? You seem to follow your leader judi-cially, when it comes to copy content from others!

  35. @Tarino Orange How sadistic you are! People like you deserve the leader like HH who exploits those who support him.

  36. This is how a leader works. He keeps the promises he makes. President Edgar Lungu promised load shedding free Zambia, and he is working towards it.

  37. As usual the lame brains busy name calling instead of debating the numbers…mind you I am in the construction industry if I looked at the numbers for this project and analysed it you wouldn’t even understand it.
    When your electricity bill is increased …you will complain forgetting you are paying for this corruption.

  38. Ah, the PF trolls Dug, Graham, Joe, Joey, Ivy, Ron and Mary – they are BACK! This time under an SA IP address. Welcome guys! Or guy! Because it’s probably just one bored PF cadre wasting our time! Hey KZ, you were supposed to teach them to do a better job!

  39. WELL NOTED ABOUT THE TR000LLS
    KZ IS DELIBERATELY NOT ON TODAY
    AND TOMORROW WILL BE SAYING HOW HE HELPED LUNGU OUT THE GATES
    HE IS GOOD FOR A LAUGH AND THATS ALL

  40. # 41@ Chama
    MMD was the governing party then and the project was meant to develop Zambia so it can’t be MMD project if they didn’t excute it. So you wanted PF to start something new when they was already a project at design stage which they just needed to fine tune and execute? What kind of thinking is that? PF is not governing to prove a point but to execute projects that the previous regimes envisioned but were not implemented as long as they are meant to accelerate economic growth.

  41. @ Independent very valuable information you have provided here as the cost is not so different from the initial tender price during the RB MMD regime. However it is also important to look at many options. There seems to be no correlation between the installed capacity and cost of constructing a power plant. Maybe if there are experts in construction of power plants they can help clarify the parameters that determine the cost of constructing a power plant. This is information that should be brought into the public domain. However the Engineer Procure and Construct model used on this project is always higher than the traditional method of procurement were the design is done prior to commencement of construction.
    You can compare with the links below for comparison…

  42. So how many times are you going to commission the same project. Is it everytime you add a wall or a room you have to go and commission just because it’s elections? I hope this time they use correct pictures and not like how they did by showing a completed road from Nigeria.

  43. Kariba Dam took 4 years to build and cost $1.2 billion in TODAYS’ money. Lower Kafue gorge has taken more than 10 years to build and cost $2 billion to build.
    Kariba dam would have been cheaper were it not for Operation Noah and the resettlement of thousands of the Tonga people.
    Kariba dam provides 1,626 MW of electricity.
    Lower Kafue Gorge produces 750 MW.
    Why are government projects more expensive as time goes on? This is against the trend in every other private enterprise.

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