Facing disruptions in power generation due to low water levels at the Kariba Dam, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema visited the Maamba Collieries and Kariba Dam power plants to assess the situation. At the Maamba Power station, President Hichilema met with management to understand their maintenance schedules, which have contributed to power generation disruptions.
“We urged them to speed up these processes so that normal operations can resume as soon as possible,” the President said. “We also emphasized the need for future maintenance to be planned in a way that does not impact national power generation.”
During the visit to the Kariba Dam, it was discovered that systems and processes had been neglected, leading to a lack of proper monitoring and sharing of critical information. The Kariba Dam is a shared asset between Zambia and Zimbabwe and is managed by the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA).
“We will be engaging with our Zimbabwean counterparts to optimize and effectively utilize the reservoir and to improve compliance levels in water management,” President Hichilema said.
To mitigate the impact on small businesses, the President directed the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) to consider splitting the current 12 hours of load shedding per area into a six-hour schedule.
“We want to minimize the impact on small businesses as much as possible,” he said. “Splitting the load shedding into a six-hour schedule can help them maintain their operations.”
President Hichilema emphasized the importance of taking responsibility for challenges and making decisions based on long-term foundations rather than short-term, politically convenient solutions.
“We will not shy away from taking responsibility for the challenges we face,” he said. “And in addressing these problems, we will not take politically convenient, populist routes. Our decisions will be based on building sound foundations that will last for generations to come.”
He could have done that even without visiting the sites…. maybe he’s learned a lesson after that pronouncement that there will be no loadshedding which backfired in his face.
They are the first ones to read speeches at Climate Change International events but here he is relying on a Coal Power Plant to save his skin…Maamba Collieries is a private entity and their only problem is ZESCO does not pay them so why should they operate at full capacity when you owe them money.
It is more expensive for HH to work from office than out in field.
Atleast some ministers finds something to do.
Very true: During the visit to the Kariba Dam, it was discovered that systems and processes had been neglected, leading to a lack of proper monitoring and sharing of critical information.
So this had to be “discovered” by visiting the dam? Where are HH’s technology/engineering advisors?
And “the President directed the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) to consider splitting the current 12 hours of load shedding per area into a six-hour schedule.” You poor reporters. If he directed there should be no ‘considering’ from ZESCO. Or do you want to say he advised????
“Calls for immediate action”
What is the immediate action he called for?
Mr President in future please when you make announcements of policy desist from this: WE ARE NOT DOING THINGS LIKE THE PREVIOUS CORRUPT ADMINISTRATION. Just work and results will speak for you, results will compare your achievements with those of the previous administration and the people will judge…. not you.
Lastly beware of people like Kawana… they’re not adding value to your administration by trying explain things like they’re talking to children.
Hakainde is an embarrassment to the country and the world at large. Insoni ebuntu!!!
Mr President when are you flying out to US to photo shoot that’s what you’re good at
Too little too late. Kariba is not the only hydro power station we have in Zambia, what’s happened to the other power stations which provided surplus power? We smell a cover up. We need answers.
Actually it’s a big cover-up. The truth lies in those MoUs that were signed in Washington.
A great talkative is a great liar….Chipante pante Government…HH lacks leadership skills and he is “Mr Know everything”…..as usual now trying to normalize the abnormal….WE NEED TO FIND A SOLUTION SO THAT WE CAN HAVE POWER 24HRS 365 DAYS A YEAR…..like you said during campaigns “LOADSHEDING IS UNACCEPTABLE”…….now why should loadsheding be acceptable?????….we need to get serious as a country…60 years after Independence and we even struggling to mend potholes……struggling with electricity year in year out….LIES HAVE SHORT LEGS
The president is actively seeking solutions……….
Look at the tribal supremacists clique supporters above…………all they are used of leaders borrowing to patch holes……..
This president fixes holes without borrowing……….
When did he lose them? He assured us at last press briefing. Please don’t defend anyhow just because he’s your relative. The situation is harming everyone here. At least if had admitted earlier that the problem was there I would support him… but he was so arrogantly adamant even asking as to raise our hands if we were being loadsheded.
Nothing personal
In opposition he was busy insulting the office of the President now you’ve seen that running a country is not kids play…..blah blah blah blah useless Politicians….and even dream of auctioning ZESCO for pennies
Yes ZESCO is worth pennies because its in so much debt because previous regime used it to acquire so much debt I am just surprised this HH govt never disclosed this…then they have not been paying Maamba Collieries whose det is close to 200m USD.
We are tired of hearing your calls. Please just work. This man is indeed a motivational speaker.
Members of Parliament its your job to get detailed answers from miinister of energy.
They are busy growing their tummies to worry about such ” minute” things like lack of electricity..
THEY WALK AMONGST US
SO SAD
As the president said…………
If it was a UPND GRZ that had access to billions to spend on energy infrastructure like the corrupt utterly useless PF had, ……..
Zambia by now would have had a mixture if energy sources……..solar , more advanced coal power.
But instead the theiving PF throw almost everything at hydro power,………..
We actually was very surprised and did question when PF blamed poor rain fall for load shedding, but was spending billion on the same hydro power……..?????
Excuse after excuse… one minute he’s boasting how well he has done, the next he’s busy blaming PF for his failure.
Don’t you get tired sweeping the dirt for someone who is incorrigible?
Yes ,……….
It is the dirt on top of the heaps of dirt left by PF that we are dealing with………..
It is a 5 year mandate badala……….
Sit back and watch how things get sorted………
Spaka so it’s still five years? Man get out of your cocoon you have got less than three years left.
His Ministers are living large….what do they care about poor suffering Zambian….HH has become a motivational speaker….or more like a prophet aka “papa”…..promising Zambians a better life in heaven after they die…..He made a trip to Kariba dam wasting tax payers money just to come and give a motivation speech
In Bemba they say beshiba ukoulefuma noti uko uleya. I think in English they say path dependency.
We were called one of the strongest colony because of intellectual properties.
Things like this will make the economic founders of Zambia turning in the grave.
Taxation without representation.
FISP delivery was late and distribution chaotic…. the president instead boasted that he had saved billions of Kwacha because of the checks he had put in the FISP operations… How so?
1) The cost per bag was higher than previously
2) It’s the same number of bags issued per farmer not forgetting we had new entrants.
Mathematically there can be no decrease in the cost but increase.
But Spaka has no time to look at the logic.
10s of millions was saved from the Web of PF front companies and sponsors in the FISP business…..
UPND is no track……….
Spaka there was no saving but overspending… just wait for the final result. I have given you an example but of course you don’t want the truth.
we are at it again! Previously on LT: http://www.lusakatimes.com/2015/07/09/the-simple-solutions-for -loadshedding-increase-electricity-price/
Is this what Zambians voted for seriously….HH too much blowing your own trumpet….only the truth can set you free….because once you lie once….you need more lies to back up your initial lie
Same person different negative comments to create an impression that things are very bad. Bally will still fix it, its not that 90 day PF promise which resulted into nothing.
With this abundant sunshine that God gave us, let us just put-up solar plants across all provinces and decentralize this power issue. From the main grid let’s just be exporting the power from there and getting forex since our mines are in a coma, and agriculture is not yet mechanized to give us mass production and real value
When we told HH to stay and home instead of taking selfies with old Joe in Washington this is what we met…look at him now visiting two sites in one day!!
*When we told HH to stay at home instead of taking selfies with old Joe in Washington this is what we meant…look at him now visiting two sites in one day!!
THIS IS BANDITRY !! This issue has been going for some time. The president has been getting reports to his desk constantly. Now that the whole nation is crying about load-shedding that’s when he decides to make this trip and sound serious. This is all about having a photo-opportunity to pretend that he is now concerned. If there is anything that HH loves is Photo-Opportunities.
The previous GRZ was aware of the effects of global warming on rainfall patterns, yet………..
Still was pouring billions into the same affected hydro power ?????
Where was the sense in that ????
That is why we are where we are…….
Blame, blame is alright, is alright blame, blame. You used your overseas to scandalize the government but now people can see through you and who you are
Rejected PF regime is on fire with comments above, indeed electoral loss is painful. This load shedding thing is not new, we went through it during PF
@Independent observer
Good observation….no wonder we don’t develop because our leaders are pretending like they’re busy working and then it trickles down to his bloated Ministry….all Ministers are now pretending like they’re working hard but in the actual sense they’re just getting paid big money for nothing…..late Tanzania President Mangufuli was a genuine hard working President…..HH,Munangangwa,Ramaphosa,Masisi,Tshisekedi all Useless
This is why the late TZ President was eliminated he made a Mining firm in his country which was underpricing stock to pay its country billions in backdated payments – Can you imagine FQM being hit with that type of punishment…today in TZ there is that lady who is a former World Bank Director she is a real puppet.
we will not take politically convenient, populist routes. Our decisions will be based on building sound foundations that will last for generations to come.”
Fimba Upoke, he’s a better president compared to those that have stolen Zambians resources. ACC to continue arresting thieves.
It’s surprising that one can accuse the posts here as PF. It shows lack of capacity of intellectual depth to analyze situations. Should people not complain because they will be labeled PF. The nation is suffering and all you can say it’s coming from PF malcontents.
The situation is embarrassing especially to a fellow who thrives in self praise and all his praise singers who try to stay adamant on false statements. Watching that queer Press Conference now leaves so much to be desired. For some of us all double h speeches are as boring as dope and inert as a corpse. So chilling falsehoods from campaigning as a opposition into accidental status quo. Dictatorship and lies is a dangerous compound of traits in one person. Formulae have eluded the calculator boy. What happened to working in the background?
The captain announced that they were approaching the equator. An elderly female cried she couldn’t see the Equator…of course it’s just an imaginary line. But to satisfy the woman the captain stuck a piece of thread across his binoculars and gave it (binoculars) to the woman. ” There you ma’m use my glasses. Upon looking through the binoculars the jumped up with happiness” I can see it…how wonderful it looks”
That’s what the can best be described.