ZESCO board chairperson bemoans electricity theft, unpaid bills

The Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation board chairperson Vickson Ncube says electricity theft is taking place in the country, like illegal connections and unpaid bills.

He posits that solar power is the game changer, imploring everyone to embrace it.

Speaking during ZESCO’s Malaiti programme recently, Ncube said power generation and revenue collection is not tallying.

Meanwhile, Minister of Energy, Makozo Chikote, assures the nation that by mid-next year the country may begin to see measures that will ultimately lead to the end of load shedding.

Responding to a question in Parliament yesterday from Kasama Central Member of Parliament, Sibongile Mwamba, Chikote said by December this year, load shedding hours will be reduced.

He disclosed that the current power deficit stands at 1,555 megawatts.

“The power deficit as at September 23 this year stands at 1,555 megawatts. By December we will complete the 425 megawatts project, and this will have an impact in terms of power supply.

“By December we are likely to see a big change, and by mid-2026 we see something leading to ending load shedding,” he said.

The Minister further explained that, as a result of the completion of some power projects, high-density townships have been prioritized and are now receiving electricity for at least 10 hours a day.

Chikote said so far, 21 townships have been selected, with the number expected to progressively increase.

“You may recall that when we implemented the emergency tariff, Government prioritised the vulnerable members of our society by introducing a lifeline tariff that reduced the rate by 20 percent for those consuming up to 100 units.

“The rest of the retail consumers are currently receiving an average of six hours of power per day on a rotational basis,” Chikote said.