EXIT PLAN ON THE POWER LOADSHEDDING STORY; ANY LEADS FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER?
By GEORGE CHOMBA
What is the exit plan for the newsroom when the electricity load management story finally goes to bed?
This should be the thinking of newsroom managers if they are looking at the water level statistics in dams, rivers and other electricity generating machines.
I can’t speak for politicians as regards the power load management story, as they enjoy their own freedom of expression.
Therefore, equating the political talk to journalism practice; the latter which is my craft, is suicidal.
While politicians will go miles on end justifying black as white, the newsroom is about balance, verification, story context, timeliness and nose for news, among others too old to remember.
This is the reason that since the electricity load management started on 4th January, this year and the stories followed, I have kept an eagle’s eye view.
Some stories have comprised not only blatant PR but also accusing fingers, mainly from some opposition politicians who are quick to point at their target in the race to State House; President Hakainde Hichilema.
“Load shedding is unacceptable, President Hichilema must resign,” so the screaming headlines have gone with kickers; “He has failed”.
Well, while journalists can’t swim in the same pool as politicians of bad mouthing the President or any other Zambian citizen without justification, they have the unenviable task of delivering the message, as messengers, even if President Hichilema or any other Zambians don’t like it.
For politicians, taking advantage of the repeal of the Criminal Defamation of the President clause in the Penal Code, their journey ahead allows them to jump into the next topic, worthy the value of time or not.
For the media, like years gone by since the electricity load shedding and management story became an annual ceremony, such as the Kuomboka or Umutomboko ceremonies, the episode is about to go into the factory default mode.
In the next few weeks or so, Kariba Dam will be back to normal power generation and so will be the two Maamba Collieries coal fired plants, as mother appears promising.
Therefore, what is the exit plan for the newsroom over the electricity load management story?
When the implementation of the load management broke out on 4th January, the Kariba Dam water level was at 475.60 metres, forcing Zesco to reduce the generation capacity of 1080 megawatts to less than 400 megawatts.
As of 16th January, the Kariba Dam water level rose to 475.83 metres following the inflow of water from the Zambezi River and other tributaries, such as the Kafue River, according to the Zambezi River Authority press update.
More river and rain waters from North Western and Western Provinces are competing to rest in the body of Kariba Dam.
Remember, the Kariba Dam is designed to operate between levels 475.50 metres and 488.50 metres.
Assuming by next week, the dam would have received 476 metres of water and the plant gears up to normal operations?
What will be the next story after the 150 megawatts Maamba Collieries machine kicks into the national grid, according to Energy Minister Peter Kapala?
The other coal fired plant of 150 megawatts at Maamba Collieries is already in operation.
The total electricity needs for Zambia stands at 2,500 megawatts although the country has an estimated installed capacity of 3,500 megawatts.
For politicians, in their freedom of expression, the end justifies the means whether with facts or in order to create perceptions as gaining numbers for that important day of voting is the ultimate goal rather than balance.
The exit plan for politicians over the load management story is therefore to move on to the next ‘elephant in the room’ topic, but what about for the media?
There are always two sides of a coin; the bad and the good.
Will the exit plan of the media on the electricity load management story comprise the good ending?
In the last two weeks, the 12 hours electricity load management story staggered into two six hours with breaks has taken journalists to saloons, bar owners, wielders and small scale restaurant operators.
The small scale business people’s displeasure over lack of electricity for many hours is an open secret.
“How are we going to feed our children without electricity,” is the common lamentation.
But as power kicks back into the system and I await the next episode of electricity load management, I exit to read the news attributed to President Hichilema’s trip to Abu Dhabi that 2000 megawatts may sooner rather than later hit the Zambian national grid using solar energy.
I beg to move.