Government has dispelled assertions by sacked Minister of National Planning Lucky Mulusa that incompetence at the Zambezi River Authority and ZESCO caused the power black outs Zambia experienced in the last two years, insisting that the power deficit was caused by effects of climate change.
President Edgar Lungu yesterday dismissed Mulusa from his ministerial position and revoked his nomination to parliament in the wake of the highly damaging revelations he made during a live interview on state broadcaster ZNBC.
During the interview, Mulusa revealed that engineers at the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) and ZESCO opened the spillway gates and let out more water reserves than was necessary which led to the crippling power black outs.
Mulusa also pointed an accusing finger at senior managers at Zesco whom he said delayed the Maamba thermal power plant project by about one year, which could have saved the country billions of kwachas in power imports.
He went on to lament that no action has been taken against erring technocrats at both Zesco and ZRA because everyone blamed the shortage on draughts that followed when the real reason was that the technocrats were to blame.
But in a statement yesterday, Energy Minister David Mabumba maintained that the crippling power blackouts were as a result of low water levels caused by climate change.
“Dear colleagues. I have an article that claims the power deficit we experienced in 2015 was due to the inefficiencies at Zesco and ZRA. The truth for those that still doubt is that the power deficit was attributed to climate change. The water levels in both the Kariba Dam and Kafue hydro plants we’re below the required threshold and that caused reduced generation and resulted in loading shedding. The parliamentary committee on Energy at the time visited kariba dam to assess the water situation,” stated Mabumba.
“Zesco and govt made prudent decision to import emergency power at great costs which was sold at subsidized prices to cushion households and the industry otherwise the economy would have collapsed without that bold intervention.”
He highlighted the measures government has taken to improve the country’s energy sector since the unprecedented 2015 power shortages.
“While the 2015 power deficit became a strategic challenge to economic growth, Govt turned that threat into an investment opportunity by fast tracking the completion of Ndola Energy, Maamba and Itezhi Tezhi power plants which added a total of 525mw to the grid. Further govt invested into a multimillion 750mw Kafue Lower hydro plant which is under construction.
“In addition Musonda and Lusiwashi small hydros are undergoing rehabilitation. We too have scaling solar and other wind projects under feasibility studies as part of govt agenda to diversify the energy mix. On 24th January 2018 i will be launching a pre bid meeting with KFW for 100 mw small scale solar projects that will be constructed across the country with the support of the Germany Govt. I call upon Zambian entrepreneurs in the energy sector to participate in this tender. This goes to demonstrate President Lungu’s transformative agenda in the energy sector and sector under PF has grown compared to any previous govt.”
Mabumba further claimed that those blaming the power deficit on ZESCO and ZRA are doing so out of ignorance or to score political points.
“Those that want to peddle negative propaganda are doing so out of ignorance or to score political popularism because the facts are that Zesco and ZRA were not the cause of the 2015 power deficit. However the PF remains open to constructive criticism and my door as Minister of Energy is open to those Zambians willing to contribute positively to the growth of the sector.”
Ok what the Minister says is correct but what is also true is the fact that Maamba Coal Power Plant was delayed by close to two years because I worked there in the initial stages. The other thing Mulusa said concerning inefficiency at Government Ministries cannot be defended by an objective observer. What an Engineer in private sector can do in one week might take one month to 3 months for an engineer with same qualification working in Government. Let Civil Servants, accountants, architects, procurement experts and even lawyers explain why government construction projects with initial 6 months to 1 year completion period can take 10 years or even more but their private homes are completed within a short time. Let us not run away from Government snail pace working system. Thanks E-Governance initiative the Government has started but even that system that I am so very thankful for is taking too long to be fully implemented.
Mr Minister it is good that you have made a clear explanation to what caused the power outages.
Infact, this power crises did not affect Zambia alone but some countries in the region as well had power deficits & blackouts depending on the supply and demand situation in their respective countries.
So we were mislead into believing that there is serious incompetent engineers at these two institution who should be fired according to the wishes of the former MP/Minister.
How sad !