We may not claim to be hydrologists or water experts, but with our umbilical cord safely buried on the shores of the Zambezi river, and having grown up swimming or fishing while dodging the crocodiles, we understand one or two things about the movement and distribution of water.
Our Nyachipopa Royal Village, the seat of the Chief Ishima Palace, East of Zambezi distric, is situated approximately 250 meters away from the mighty Zambezi river, with two lakes tucked in-between.
As a matter of fact, there are several lakes dotted alongside the said river in the district as it journeys to the Indian ocean.
During the onset of rains, the river does not burst to the seams immediately. It usually takes several weeks for it to completely overflow towards the plain and “swallow up” these lakes. They’ve exotic and sweet sounding names such as Chinanbumba, Isolu and Musekelembwa etc.
Despite the Angels opening the heavenly taps month of November, the Zambezi river in that part of the country only starts getting overflooded somewhere between February and March before feeding into the lakes.
It’s also important to appreciate that most of the water that accounts for filling up the Kariba Dam actually comes all the way from Angola. Now, imagine the period it would take for the Zambezi river to deposit part of its water into the Kariba Dam.
This year, we have obviously been blessed with abundant rainfall. Somewhere in the Scriptures we are cautioned thus, “people perish due to lack of knowledge.” It’s therefore quite understandable when ordinary folks you encounter on the buses, in the markets and on our streets begin questioning the logic behind the continued loadshedding amidst all these good rains!
Imwe ba Minister of Energy….naba ZESCO, can you please pull up your act and start explaining such dynamics to our people.
Prince Bill M Kaping’a
Political/Social Analyst
Mayeng’u, Zambezi
The equilibrium has been upset. You see by the time that water reaches Kariba Dam the current waters will have been depleted and we’ll be back to square one(half full dam). The status quo has changed due to continued mild droughts. I wish when you were in opposition you would have taken time to learn this instead of promising something that you had no power over.
This what the Head of state has sought to push for net zero metering. A win win for the consumer and Zesco.
The downside is the cosr of investment in solar power. The cost is high but over time of benefit. Those in formal employment and own a home. Financing should be easy. The constrain would be for those not in formal employment and retired.
Half Full ??? that is overly generous When was that ?? 70/80’s
Kapinga.The Minister and ZESCO are actually putting out your facts to the masses,but like I was advising the new UPND media team under Mark Simuuwe,the masses are complaining about not getting the UPND message specifically because the current mass medium is very fragmented.There has been a proliferation of media platforms that has segmented listeners,viewers and readers into ever smaller interest groups.The challenge is to be innovative and enough resources to capture these interest groups and meet their specific interests across the various media platforms one or two messages at a time
Forget the media team for now, it cannot salvage anything. What messages would they even have on the continued loadshedding, and remember the very fact that bread and butter issues in terms of pricing are worse off, that in itself is a barrier to listening for the population. Even the message of blaming the PF must have reached its expiry date by now. It’s a tough call, but anyway they will continue keeping up appearances that they are working. Where?
Ka Non Partisan
Your friends in UPND are busy planning another landslide victory 2026 and are still sleeping dreaming a about a 50+1.Moron
Is that not friendly fire?
MuZambian, Jackson Bulenge and others have taken turns to grill and disagree with Bill who comes to clarify his point but does not say anything. What a media team!
Kapinga, the two lakes on Zambezi are Kariba and Cabora Bassa. Which ones are you yapping about as being “dotted alongside”, the ox-bow lakes?
Imwe did you read the article or you’ve failed to grasp the contents? What you refer to are dams, they are man made and not lakes!
Kariba is a man made lake, the wall which holds water in this lake is what we call a dam.
So you Bill Kapinga want people to piss in the lake? Hydro electricity is not like the conception of Jesus. From your village to Kariba what is the distance? Given the draught havent you thought of the process of filling up all the dried up streams before flowing downstream.
You are become as bad a PF cadre in your ability to reason. Besides we were told, because of the drought it make take years before optimum levels are attained. We may be lucky to have generation past the mid of year and September before the levels become drastic. So move to your village and make your own Kariba dam at the source of the Zambezi if you think that will give you power through out the year.
Mukiko Mwata I failed to grasp your contents. With the Geography I did at school if we are to follow your home-made definitions of “lake” then there are no lakes on the Zambezi.
However, like I’ve stated and as Deja Vu points out, there are two man-made lakes on the Zambezi and that is why they have names: Kariba and Cabora bassa. My point was about the nameless ox-bow lakes in the plains which are superficial and exist now but quickly dissappear.
Failed project
The minister and Zesco think talking about renewables and solar energy are sufficient information to show the efforts they making to restore power. They are completely oblivious of how to address the current and present problem of loadshedding – no updates!
Thank you….
Why are Zambians acting dumb? Your electricity is being sold to neighboring countries and you are believing the lies politicians are telling you about drought. Your progress is being sacrificed by politicians who are enriching themselves. Indirectly electricity is being sold to South Africa because Namibia has long term contracts with South Africa to be supplied 300 MW, remember they used to be a province of SA. Zambians should demand the breakers to Namibia and other countries be opened and then load shedding will end instantly. Even if the water levels rise, as long as the exports continue, load-shedding will not end. Mark 7:27, Jesus answered, “Let us first feed the children. It isn’t right to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”
The only time the Kariba Dam fills up with water is when you are in opposition. Otherwise it trickles. The UPND in opposition even suggested employing waters bowsers, galvanising all water channel and canals into the Zambezi. Far fetched.
UNIP even spoke of diverting the Luapula River to the Kafue and then Kafue flats making a canal to meet the Zambezi above Kariba and provide irrigation on the way… Far fetched is nothing new. Even diesel from grass
Why are people tired of endless loadshedding stories? Majority Zambians may be thinking of ending the endless loadshedding stories through the 2026 elections.
I have proposed the solution in 2017 here on the Lusaka Times.
https://www.lusakatimes.com/2017/02/24/load-shedding-look-facts/
Seems nobody is interested – until more load shedding comes !!!!!