ZESCO LIMITED REPORTED TO THE OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC PROTECTOR FOR MISMANAGING ITS LOADSHEDDING SCHEDULE
The Organizers of the Fix Zesco Protest have formally reported the power utility company to the office of the public protector for mismanagement of the load shedding crisis and the continued breach of the Zambian constitution.
Addressing the Media in Lusaka today, one of the concerned citizens, Rizicky Fatacky, says Zesco Limited is abrogating article 173(1) which mandates every institution that offers a public service to be effective, impartial, fair and provide equitable provision of public services.
Ms. Fatacky says Zesco Limited owes citizens a duty of care to ensure they do their due diligence in their duty which includes conducting adequate research on possible factors that would affect the distribution of electricity and promptly implement preventive measures to ensure small businesses which fuel over 50% of the country’s economy.
She says the group wants the office of the public protector to compel zesco limited to follow the released load shedding schedule, order it to address the nation on the available electricity supply and to immediately provide sustainable long term solutions that will transition from hydro-electricity energy to other forms.
And another concerned member, Mwiza Zulu, who wonders what will happen if the next rain season will not be successful, says from the time the group announced the protests in June, the mismanagement of load shedding has worsened.
PN
Confused character! In the situation we are as a Country and listening to what ZESCO has been saying in the recent past, apart from their loadshading schedule thay have of course now, they have also come up with the emergency rationing of power because of the shortage of water from our reliable sources of hydro-points of electricity generation, they have alao been saying that there will be emergency power cuts. On emergency babaaa, the issue of following timetable at times will definitely not work. So as responsible citizens, we have to understand the situation and the period we are in.
I was in Zambia on the day the presentation for the establishment of the Office of Public Protector was done in Parliament. The then Minister of Justice (PF regime) bragged that the Zambian Public Protector would be more effective than the South African counterpart. I laughed to myself and told the people I was with that the Minister did not know what he was talking about. At that time the SA Public Protector was Advocate Thuli Madonsela; an upright and fearless lady. She took on very high government officials including then President Jacob Zuma as long as they were reported to her office. The Zambian Public Protector will never be effective as long as individuals in authority are stronger than institutions. In South Africa the Office of the Public Protector and other Chapter Nine institutions are legally independent and stronger than any individual in that country.