The Zambian government has expressed mounting frustration over Zesco’s continued failure to adhere to the load management schedule that has been publicly shared. Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Chipoka Mulenga voiced his concerns, stating that the inconsistency poses a significant threat to economic growth and negatively impacts citizens’ daily lives.
In a recent interview on Diamond TV’s hard hitting show, COSTA, Mulenga emphasized the importance of Zesco sticking to the power supply schedule.
“The biggest challenge that people like Chanda and myself and other Small Enterprises have been complaining about is that when power is supposed to go at 08:00hrs, it goes at 06:00hrs; instead of it coming back at 12:00hrs or 14:00hrs, it comes at 19:00hrs,” he explained, highlighting the widespread disruption caused by the unpredictable power outages.
The unpredictable load shedding has led to numerous complaints from customers, particularly in Lusaka, where residents have experienced uncommunicated increases in load shedding hours, severely disrupting their daily routines.
During the interview, Minister Mulenga also addressed the broader economic challenges facing Zambia. He acknowledged that 2024 is expected to be a particularly tough year due to the harsh economic climate. The government’s revised economic growth forecast projects that the economy will grow by only half of the initial target.
“It’s quite a challenging time,” Mulenga remarked.
“Unfortunately, this year, we are going to witness a decline in the growth of our economy. Last year, our growth was projected to be at 4.3%, but due to various factors, including a reduction in water levels in dams, this has negatively impacted production activities and our economy.”
The minister highlighted the cascading effects of the energy crisis on Zambia’s economy, pointing out how reduced hydroelectric power production has led to a decline in foreign exchange reserves, increased inflation, and overall economic instability.
“Indeed, this year, it’s going to be a challenging moment for business activities,” he concluded.
Zambia, heavily reliant on hydro energy, is currently grappling with an energy crisis, facing up to 12 hours of load shedding daily. The Southern African nation is among the many countries suffering from the severe droughts brought on by El Niño, making worse the risk of millions of lives being pushed into poverty
By Dingindaba Jonah Buyoya