By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
Comedy of Errors-Ukusensela ilyo kawa
In November 2022, the Zambezi River Authority informed both Zambia and Zimbabwe that Zimbabwe Power Company(ZPC) and ZESCO had utilized the allocated water for the year and the dam’s usable storage for power generation stood at only 4.6%.
So it became clearly inevitable that power generation at Kariba Dam will be adversely affected.
Zambia produces 1,080 megawatts at its North Bank Power Stations and ZImbabwe produces 1,050 megawatts at the South Bank Power Stations.
Knocking off so much power from our national capacity was going to adversely affect both our national use and our power exports.
Akabangilile, kaumine ipulu!
I wonder why at this stage in November 2022 Government did not;
1. Plan for immediate suspension of power exports.
2. Form a multi-task and multi-sectoral team to handle efficient use of power and associated issues.
3. Help plan for both independent power producers; Ndola Energy (110 megawatts) and Maamba Collieries (300 megawatts) that use heavy fuels and coal respectively, to help forestall the impending power deficit.
4. Engage citizens and walk with them on the inevitability of load-shedding schedule to be effected by December or January.
But by two weeks ago, at his Press conference held on 20th December, 2022, President Hakainde Hichilema was boasting and insisting that citizens would not be loadshedded and power exports would not be halted.
This is despite an earlier official announcement on 2nd December 2022, by his Minister of Energy, Hon. Peter Kapala to Parliament that ZESCO would begin six-hour load-shedding on 15th December 2022.
So the hasty decisions that were made on Friday and Saturday and the concerns around Maamba Collieries Power Station have come too late in the day.
Further a visit to Kariba Lake is not the solution. Kariba is not the only source of power generation.
Of the 3,456 installed capacity, Kariba Power Stations produces only 1,080 megawatts.
A stitch in time saves nine!
