Opposition Socialist Party Zambia president Dr Fred M’membe has described the current power supply rationing (loadshedding) as a disaster.
Dr. M’membe said it is unfortunate that people spent their Christmas without power. He has since called on the UPND administration to plan ahead.
THE load shedding crises is getting worse. And this is also evident to that ZESCO has even failed to provide power 24/7 during the festive season. Many Zambians spent Christmas without power. And for some, by mid day the great majority were loadshedded. Power only comes back very late in the night when many people are asleep.
To aid planning ahead of 2025, the UPND GOVERNMENT should explain the following to the nation:
1. How much power will be generated from hydro in 2025.
2. Is the power generation sufficient to end load shedding in 2025? We think the answer is categorical NO.
3. If the power generation is not sufficient to end load shedding, how many hours of load shedding per day should we expect?
4. To alleviate further suffering by our citizens, have we put measures in place to import power to close the demand deficit?
5. How much power are we going to import and from where?
6. To avoid an abrupt increase in tariffs under the pretext of “emergency tariffs adjustments” as was the case this year, what tarrifs rates should consumers expect? Same as current tarrifs or a further upwards adjustment!
Dr Fred M’membe