ZESCO Board Chairperson Chibwe Mwelwa has reiterated that President Edgar Chagwa Lungu has built on KK’s infrastructure legacy and made Zambia a Power-hub in southern region. Mr. Mwelwa said this today at the commissioning of the 750MW Kafue Lower Gorge project in Chikankata constitutency, Southern Province.
Mr. Mwelwa added that electricity generation is vital in the development of any nation. President Kenneth Kaunda last commissioned a power project in 1977. Since the ruling Patriotic Front popular victory in 2011, they have embarked on a number of projects across the country.
“And because of these projects, Zambia in the whole of Southern Africa, is the highest producer of electricity. The PF Government under the remarkable leadership of His Excellence Dr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu has connected Southern Province, North-Western Province, and other parts of Zambia which were not part of the national grid. This is essential for national development for instance, you need energy to run industries, or mines or even running a chigayo at the market , you need power, because power drives the economy”, he explained.
The board Chairperson further stated that Zambia used to have about 600,000 households connected to the national grid but the *PF Government* had doubled the digits to over 1,300,000 users. In terms of power generation, which is unprecedented.
*President Lungu’s* vision to develop this country has made us become the highest producer of electricity in southern region. In addition, we have now after 57 years of Independence the capacity to export power to neighboring countries, a huge milestone for as a country and ZESCO in particular.
President Lungu was in Chikankata district, Southern province to launch the Kafue Lower Gorge Hydropower project, one of the three major game-changer projects.
He was received by PF National Chairman and ZRA board chairman, Southern province permanent secretary, Lusaka province permanent secretary, ZESCO managing director and board members, IDC group CEO, China embassy and China representative to Zambia, PF Southern province chairman , Southern Province Presidential campaign coordinator, PF adopted candidate for Chikankata constitutency, and other senior Government and party officials.
I was checking on the universally accepted parameters used to measure the economic health of a country, there is GDP per capita, exchange rate, inflation, employment levels, reserves and infrastructure is not there. In light of this revelation, going forward nobody should mention infrastructure please
Kafue lower power station is an MMD project. People like Magande are alive to testify to this. Yes, thank ECL for finishing it but surely not behind the concept.
Is Mr. Chibwe Mwelwa being truthful that Zambia is the largest producer of electricity? What about South Africa and Mozambique? You mean this country only saw development during Kaunda regime and Lungu. MMD never did anything to talk about? This Chayimani is 100% PF cadre. Every regime made some development and it is wrong to state that things have started moving only under PF. This country will continue developing if after PF leaves office. Most of the projects PF is claiming credit were mooted during UNIP but could not do any thing due to limited resources. Even REA Projects were initiated with aid from JICA under MMD regime. Even the ring roads project were mooted long time ago. Even the new residential areas which have sprung all over Lusaka were as a result of the MMD policies which…
Highest producer in southern region? Not sure about that!!!
@Hansel-But why didn’t MMD build it?? MMD knew as far back as 2005 that power demand had ballooned due to increased mining activity and local activity. They simply didn’t prioritise it. Just like in health sector, MMD didn’t build a single hospital in 20 years; in Lusaka alone PF has built 5 district hospitals, expanded UTH and opened Levy in 10 years. Big difference, ka???
MMD could not do everything at once, that is why they were very cautious, methodological and organized in their approach resulting into more important issues like bread and butter issues remaining affordable. They did not recklessly go at break neck speed resulting into the decimation of the economy as the current situation stands.
Because they had bread and butter issues to sort out, that is why mealie meal was K30 a bag and every body could afford
This development will anger those perennial upnd losers. They cannot accept that pf and ECL are blessed. Hh knows he has lost these elections. He is now arming his thugs out of desperation. Commandos are ready to deal with them
Of course the Zesco topman is hurraying Edgar China Lungu – if he doesn’t he will be sacked! But in truth he knows that Edgar China Lungu didn’t do ANYTHING for power infrastructure, in fact the stup!d PF voted AGAINST it! It was Rupiah Banda and the Chinese who must be thanked for it! And KZ for licking the boots of his former boss!
People for prophet Hakainde don’t apriciate anything. They are like a woman who has become a disciple for a Papa.
Lets just be fair to MMD and avoid politics here, the reality is that the concept and signing of the project was done by the MMD, the PF has done a good job by actualizing it but that does not mean they were the ones who started it, let us be clear and fair to all. The beauty is that the country has more mega watts,
And let’s just be fair Fair Mind and avoid politics here, PF are better than the previous 2 GRZs when it comes to pure political will on infrastructure development. Eg UNIP-2 universities (27yrs), MMD-none (20yrs), PF-8 universities (10yrs), Kazungula bridge, Hospitals (not enough space to mention them…kwekwekwe), schools (we can take the whole day…. kwekwekwe…). Let’s give credit where it’s due. MMD left a poor record on infrastructure. Let’s just congratulate the president Edgar Chagwa Lungu for his will to give us Kafue Lower.
Since we don’t have any real industries and almost everything is coming from South Africa, lets stop using charcoal for cooking and lets use stoves now since we have a new power station, courtesy of the late President Levy Mwanawasa
Former Finance Minister Ngande Peter Mangande writes
Today, I was reminded of the State visit of the Chinese President Hu Jintao to Zambia in February 2007. The visit was vehemently protested by the president of PF Michael Sata, such that he dismissed the Mayoress of Lusaka and the Chawama Councillor, who joined President Mwanawasa in welcoming the Chinese President at the airport. As I endorsed the voluminous Memorandum of Understanding, in which ZESCO featured, in front of the two presidents at the end of the discussions, I wondered if PF President Sata and his party members were also going to boycott the inauguration ceremonies of the ZESCO power plants to be developed from the agreed financial assistance from the People’s Republic of China.
As Providence planned, both Mwanawasa and Sata are not available to witness the positive end result of their quarrel of 2007. As one of the living legends, I am delighted to Congratulate ZESCO on the inauguration of the Kafue Lower Power Station. This fulfills President Mwanawasa’s vision of making Zambia self-sufficient in energy in the shortest time possible.
I invite the courageous Mayoress Sikazwe and Councillor Mwanaume, wherever they are, to celebrate the positive result of their expulsion from the PF. May the forgiving God of Abraham, forgive all the PF members who were ready to march to the airport to stop President Hu from landing in Zambia. A good hunter rejoices when he sees that even those who were not in the bush at the hunt enjoy in eating the kill.
These people have no shame!!
Zambian Citizen – Read Former Finance Minister Magande’s post …if you wont be ashamed after reading it …I will not be surprised!!
We here by send a message of congratulations to MMD President Nevers Mumba on the addition of power output at Kafue lower gorge. This was a good foresight from MMD and their President then ,Levy Mwanawasa. Also just applauding President Lungu for actualizing the MMD vision. That is the way it should be. Thanks MMD
MMD really worked hard, can not believe that everything was under control, for now all you hear is climate change, drought, HH, covid. Vima excuse mbwe, even when things were already kokai even before covid
Thank you to Levy Mwanawasa and Magande for the Kafue lower hydro project. Thank you for your foresight, we remain indebted to you for ever
Levy Mwanawasa left us a power crisis. Levy Mwanawasa left us a dilapidated UTH and pot holes. He kept $3bn in reserves while women gave birth on wet dirty floors at UTH and children crammed themselves in basic schools 75 at a time. He boasted of k3 to $1 while we used a colonial pontoon on one of our largest trade routes.
Zambia is DEFINITELY NOT the highest power producer in the southern Africa region .That is a bold lie mwaiche.
#10@ Zambian Citizen.
You won’t reason with people who have decided to live in denial. They feed on negativity so much that it makes them feel good. Its really sad state of being.
How can anyone argue its better to buy mealie meal @K30 for ever & ever than having good roads, hospitals, universities, power stations etc. Don’t we ever learn?Even Scripture forbids this lie & thinking about food being at centre of everything! That’s why Africa & Zambia has remained behind until now. You can buy mealie meal for K30 today @ great subsidy & go to toilet 6 hours later with zero change in your life. We lucky we invested & investing in public infrastructure like schools, hospitals, roads, power plants, bridges, airports etc. This is foundation & what will change our lives positively forever. If Africa believed less in short cuts we will be leading continent. Praise God for this new realisation. God Bless Zambia
Noted David. Cheers my guy!
Those who old enough would know how behind and poor we were as country due to this nshima mentality. We have caught up now & we don’t want to lose another 20 years thinking about nshima. Nshima should be result of what we build. Let’s continue building our country because this is what will build us not price of things in shop. If you found shopping malls & roads when you were born just know that it’s result of foresight of those before you, not a human messiah. It takes long to build country not 1 day as some claim. God Bless Zambia