Forum for Democracy and Development President Edith Nawakwi has observed that the African content should treat the provision of Clean Energy as a human rights issue because the commodity is as important as bloody is to the body.
The opposition leader says poverty and lack of energy are directly related and that African leaders should look at poverty eradication as way of increasing the demand for clean energy in the continent.
Speaking when she featured on Africa Debate a monthly debate program on the BBC Radio Ms. Nawakwi who is a former Energy Minister in the late President Chiluba’s administration noted that people in the continent continue to use toxic energy due to the high cost of renewable energy.
She explained that uplifting the stand of living of the masses in the continent would come with the demand for cleaner energy hence the need for African leaders to discuss funding for uplifting people’s lives.
“I still insist that we need to say that energy is a right which ever source it comes from and it has to come from renewable sources because energy is to the economy what blood is to body, you cannot give toxins to the body therefore you cannot give toxic electricity to your people.
I would like our leaders when they go to the next United Nations (UN) meeting to talk about funding for the uplifting of the standard of living of our people because that will come with their demand for cleaner energy,” said Ms. Nawakwi.
And Ms. Nawakwi observed the best way of mitigating greenhouse emission is by sensitizing people on the negative impact the indiscriminate cutting down of trees has on the environment as well as looking for optional solutions for specific communities.
“The best way to contribute in reducing greenhouse gases is by motivating our people to understand that you may cut a tree to make fire wood but that will contribute to the adverse effects of the environment in the feature.
I would like us to find solutions were we motivate our people to start looking at tree planting as well as Agro- forestry. I think that this is the quickest solution if we are going to move forward with this debate otherwise if we move the debate were hydro generation is the answer we will miss the point,” Ms. Nawakwi said.
She added “Hydro generation is mostly used for commercial use as for households we need to look at specific solutions for specific communities.
Let’s look at the specific case of Zambia, yes we have potential in as far as Hydro generation is concerned but how many Zambians will be connected to the national greed in the next 50 years.”
The full program can be downloaded on the BBC website by going to BBC Africa Debate.
Madam Nawakwi, please join forces with HH. Your FDD would add so much value to UPND. Both of you understand that the problem is the economy and you have a vision
Special Paper 1:
“Energy is to economy and
“blood is too……. (4 marks).
President Edith Nawakwi. Speaking about true and needed things, not UPND and PF cadre kaponya fights. She mentions the whole of Africa to find energy resources that are non depleting.
Viva President Nawakwi.
Well spoken madam president. Agro forest is indeed the backbone of our African societies. Unfortunately most NGOs are now using it as a too to steal money from donors. The govt too introduced the Agro forest initiative and failed to implement it.
Viva madam Nawakwi all the way, keeping speaking the truth till the people govern.
I have always admired Madam Nawakwi she is very much Presidential material. Please madam do not get confused with cadre politics which is confusing everything in Zambia. The biggest problem in Zambian Politics is the so called cadres whose major preoccupation is to extort money in markets and bus stations and allocate land to vulnerable poor Zambians whose houses end up been demolished.
You have always been of high calibre, knowledgeable and experienced coupled with a good educational background