LOADSHEDDING: GOVT AND ZESCO ARE NOT BEING HONEST
It is clear that Zesco and Mr Hichilema’s government are not being truthful on loadshedding and the manner they’re managing or taking away the generated units from the national grid.
On this matter, both Zesco and the government have plainly been exposed. They have been uncovered as liars, deceptive and fraudulent people. No wonder there is a yawning credibility gap at the moment between their public announcements and what is actually obtaining on the ground.
It is evident that the people are frustrated, agitated and have lost respect, trust and believability for them on account of how they’re dealing with the loadshedding situation. There are a lot of lies, unprofessionalism, and under-reporting of the situation. To expose them even further, we demand answers to the following questions:
(1) Why is Zesco not following the loadshedding schedule?
(2) Why do we have so many high levels of unplanned outages and claims of breakdown or maintenance from Zesco? Isn’t this a subtle way of extending loadshedding hours?
(3) Why are they refuting that the loadshedding period is now beyond the announced 8 hours and has risen to between 10 – 12 hours a day? Why can’t they admit that the loadshedding stages or hours have significantly changed?
(4) In April 2024, Zesco signed a power deal with EDM – Mozambique’s state-owned power utility – to enable them to import 90 megawatts of power. So why has loadshedding hours increased if there is an addition of 90 megawatts of power to the national grid as claimed?
(5) Zesco also claimed that the announced 8 hours loadshedding period was worked out based on the water allocation at Kariba, which is supposed to be rationalized up to December. But if this is the case, why the increase in loadshedding hours and power importation, if according to their estimates our water levels or allocation at Kariba were supposed to run us through to December? Does this mean we are generating more units for export and in the process reducing our allocation beyond the estimates done?
(6) If we follow Zesco’s estimates, more loadshedding period means less water being drained or utilized at Kariba, so where are they taking the units they’re generating? Can they release the figures of how much generated units they’re taking out of the national grid and who the beneficiaries are?
(7) It is common knowledge that during winter, the national grid is strained due to excess demand. And we are heading into winter. When will Zesco and this government come out in the open and admit that the electricity crisis will actually get worse? Why can’t they tell people the truth?
While in opposition, Mr Hichilema blamed loadshedding on poor leadership, castigating the then administration not to hide under climate change or unpredictable weather patterns. But under his watch, Zambia is witnessing the worst loadshedding in history, and they don’t seem to have a solution.
People are hopeless and helpless as they see their businesses and lives being destroyed every single day. Let Mr Hichilema and his government stop lying or deceiving the people about loadshedding because they have lamentably failed to manage this crisis. Let them tell the people the truth.
Fred M’membe