We can’t stop exporting power to Namibia because Zesco is in debt – government
ENERGY minister Makozo Chikote has justified Zambia’s continued power exports to Namibia despite the country grappling with severe load shedding stating that stopping the exports would have serious financial and diplomatic consequences on Zesco and the country at large.
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Chikote explained that Zesco is still servicing loans and power exports are one of its main sources of revenue due to the high tariffs charged on exports.
He said citizens must be able to understand Zambia and Namibia signed an agreement for power exports which cannot be written off because of the bilateral relations between the two countries.
“It will be seriously a bad thing if we stop exporting 80 megawatts to Namibia. Because there are bilateral agreements which no country can run away from. That’s why we are importing power using the same line, we need to keep them live. There are bilateral agreements that you cannot just wake up in a day and cut them,” he explained.
“And for Zesco to manage to get bank facilities, they must provide resources and the only confidence why we are keeping such agreements existing is to keep confidence to the banks.”
He revealed that the country is not aware that government even had to renegotiate its agreement with Namibia after the power crisis became critical by reducing power exports from 120 megawatts to the current 80 megawatts.
Meanwhile, the minister assured the country that if the current rainfall continues up to March, three hours of power per day will be moved to seven hours of power.
“Our prayer is that these rains continue in our catchment areas, we pray it keeps having some good rain. Currently we are observing the water levels in our reservoirs. That does not mean we are okay just because there’s a rise in water because the damage was too big,” Chikote remarked on Diamond TV’s Diamond Live programme.
Zambia currently faces a power deficit of 1,600 megawatts with the national demand standing at 2,800 megawatts.
The country is getting 1,200 megawatts which includes the power being imported from the Southern African Power Pool.
Despite this shortfall, 80 megawatts continue to be exported to Namibia as part of existing agreements…https://kalemba.news/local/2025/02/05/we-cant-stop-exporting-power-to-namibia-because-zesco-is-in-debt-government/
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, February 5, 2025
Mwamba stop thinking that the manner you were running things in PF, placing ghost cadres on Zesco payroll while not working is the right way to do things. Contracts and agreements have to have some sense of worth. Akale ba sungu bale tila ati “word is bond” not fipante pante mwa belela.
For a man that attaches “Ambassador” to his name you exemplify “incompentence” in understanding the significance of “bilateral agreements”.
Please stick to the non sense that you are acustomed to with the people who perpetuate the non sense you expect us to be a part of but keep reminding that in 2021 we voted no to allow ourselves to be reduced to that kind of non sense.