Previous govts should’ve done what we’re doing in energy – HH (News Diggers)
OUR TAKE
Zambia’s energy sector was not built in one era. UNIP laid the foundation, PF delivered the biggest expansion in generation since independence, and UPND is now building on that base through diversification and private investment.
Governance is not a contest of who did better—it is a chain of continuity. Every government inherits both progress and challenges, and is expected to build on what came before, not diminish it.
Nation-building is strengthened by continuity and respect for history—not by suggesting others “should have done” what each era, in its own context, already contributed to in its own way.
KEY FACTUAL INSIGHT
* UNIP → Built the backbone of Zambia’s hydro grid
* MMD → Focused on maintenance & planning (no major new plants)
* PF → Largest expansion in generation since independence (hydro, coal, solar mix)
* UPND → Focus on solar expansion & private sector participation (early stage additions)
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UNIP (1964–1991)
STATE-OWNED
• Kariba North Bank Power Station
• Kafue Gorge Upper Power Station
• Victoria Falls Power Station
• Mulungushi Hydropower Station
• Lunsemfwa Hydropower Station
PRIVATE
• None
⸻
MMD (1991–2011)
STATE-OWNED
• None
PRIVATE
• None (no new generation plants completed)
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PF (2011–2021)
STATE-OWNED
• Kafue Gorge Lower Power Station
STATE–JOINT VENTURE
• Itezhi-Tezhi Hydropower Station
PRIVATE (IPP)
• Maamba Coal Power Station
• Ndola Energy Power Station
• Bangweulu Solar Power Station
• Ngonye Solar Power Station
⸻
UPND (2021–Present)
STATE-OWNED
• Chisamba Solar Power Plant
PRIVATE (IPP)
• Itimpi Solar Power Station
• Riverside Solar Power Station
Let’s continue the work of building Zambia.
When UPND leaves power, the next government must build on, on the successes of UPND, PF, MMD and UNIP. That’s how you develop a country. Development is a continuous process not an event.
Antonio Mourinho Mwanza
DPP President
22 April 2026