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ZESCO Refutes Story Blaming Government for Load Shedding, it’s Fake News

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ZESCO Limited clarifies false story by Prime TV

ZESCO Limited wishes to refute the story that was aired by Prime Television on 4th January 2020 during their main news bulletin at 19:30 hours. The station erroneously reported that ZESCO had attributed load shedding to government officials from Ministry of Finance and Energy snubbing generation projects, and not climate change.

ZESCO strongly condemns the fake news from Prime Television whose facts where manipulated and misconstrued to mislead the nation. To this end, we take strong exception to the act of cutting out of select video clips, whilst completely ignoring the main subject of the story, headlining and then taking some select video clips out of context with intention to deceive the nation.

ZESCO has consistently made it clear to the nation that the country received low to below normal rains in the 2018/2019 season which resulted in low water levels in the main national reservoirs. The low water levels have had an adverse effect on our generation capacity resulting in load shedding.

ZESCO has undertaken site tours with various stakeholders, amongst them, the Media, customers, government officials including parliamentarians to Kariba Dam and other power stations to explain the cause of the deficit and status of generation and power supply in the country.

The fact still remains that the cause of Load shedding is depleted dam water resources at the major power plants as a result of the severe drought experienced over the last rainy season.

ZESCO is however implementing a number of projects in the short and long term to further mitigate the effects of climate change.

The commissioning of the first unit at Kafue Gorge Lower (KGL) hydro power station at the end of the first quarter will increase generation and this will result in a significant reduction in load shedding.

It is against this background that on Friday 3rd January 2020, ZESCO Managing Director led a team of journalists, from both public and private media to Kafue Gorge Lower project for them to appreciate the progress that has been made so far.

In his statement to the Media, Mr. Mundende said the 750 Mega Watt Kafue Gorge Lower flagship project is expected to be commissioned this year, 2020. He said the first machine will run in April 2020. He further said once this project is complete, it will significantly mitigate the current load shedding in addition to boosting the entire country’s economy.

We, further, wish to advise the general public that between 2014 and now, ZESCO Limited with support of Government has already commissioned a total of 505 MW of additional Generation at a total cost of over US$802 Million through various power project investments. This is in addition to another 493MW of total Generation investments brought in by Independent Power Producers such as Maamba Collieries (Coal fired), Scaling Solar projects phase 1, and Ndola Energy Corporation Limited (HFO thermal plant). In the same period, another US$930 Million was spent on Transmission projects to will this power to variouys load centres. Without the current Govenrment’s unwavering support, it would not have been possible for ZESCO on its own to unlock the resources needed to engage in projects worth billions of US dollars.

In this regard, ZESCO wishes to thank Government for its support and to implore all customers and stakeholders to ignore the false news circulating on social media arising from the Prime Television story and regard them as untrue and unfounded.

We also wish to thank all our esteemed customers for their cooperation and patience as we pass through the trying moments in the power sector caused by climate change.

Issued by: Patrick Mwila (Mr.)
Director – Strategy & Corporate Services
5 January 2020

30 COMMENTS

  1. We have all been victims of fake news, especially us the pf. So we understand fully this situation. On a personal note I read fake news about myself every day with wild accusations. That is why I take every socialmedia news with a pinch of salt. Kz

    • Both Government and Zesco are to blame for loadshedding. Nkhuwa and Mundende period.
      Learn to admit your failures. Only then will we find solutions to problems. 15 hours of loadshedding is extremely backward. ECL admitted Government’s shortcomings.
      In fact Nkhuwa and Mundende should end at apologizing to the citizens not pointing figures at each other and blaming climate change.
      Policies ought to be dynamic not stagnant. Wallowing in the 1991 or 97 or 2007 energy policy is unbelievable.

    • We heard for ourselves and no amount of propaganda will distort what Mudende said. Why are you panicking? He is about to be fired? He said he is was putting his job on the chopping board after mappets from ministry of energy and finance refused to support him.

  2. Indeed this government is like Peter denying Christ in the way they respond to news against them. there is a video circulating are you telling us that was not said by the man?

  3. Prime Tv is too much into UPND propaganda.Is this not Cambridge Analytica’s media propaganda in connection with media stations and social media fake reports..?

    • What is true is both Zambia and Zimbabwe get this electricity power from the same source, the Kariba Dam. My question is: Do Zimbabweans also go for 15 at times more hours of load-shedding?

    • It’s worse in Zimbabwe.
      Read widely.
      ECL promised loadshedding would end in Zambia during the previous loadshedding encounter. This is why for me he has no excuse to make this time. Not even climate change will serve as an excuse because what hit us even last time is the same climate change. Government needed to be proactive through and through. Government and Zesco got comfortable because we had adequate rains before now.
      It’s high time we entered a “worst case scenario” mode.

  4. If at all Prime TV news were fake regarding this issue let zesco take legal action again the TV station. It is common knowledge that load shedding was caused by climate change. It is unbelievable that a man with very good knowledge and qualifications of how power is generated in the name of Mundende could turn to news and start blaming government on known factors that led to the load shedding that frustrated every Zambian who uses zesco for electricity. This is a very serious issue which needs legal action to be taken against the Prime TV. As usual Upnd has capitalise on the alleged fake news with its president saying he has been vindicated.

  5. Matter of facts both Government and Zesco should put their tail between their legs.
    Zesco needs to be investigated on what projects it embarked on as regards the Euro bond share viz prioritization. Zesco went for Fiber cable installation to form an ICT business services. What nonsense! Government needs to check its acts. Why can’t it supervise and reprimand Zesco properly? Is it Kamba kakuti Zesco is a cash cow for Government? Pumping alot of money in SOE that produce no result is bad. Cut cadre out’a business and let professionals do the work. Same goes to ZNBC, Zamtel etcetera.

  6. Whether mudende said it or not the fact
    remains is that the government did not
    take action all these years for us to be in
    this position.They were preoccupied with
    roads and mukula.

  7. Look on the Prime TV again, look how fare they have to finish the dam, they will not finish to april 2020. Where are all those Solar plants ? To build solar plants goes fast, and all those millions of $$$ , its something rotten here. It smells like another corruption.

  8. In Tanzania, if you publish fake news and fail to substantiate it, you are arrested. While Magufuli is strongly anti-corruption, he doesn’t tolerate fake news and has arrested several NGO heads and opposition who seek to mislead the population. There, free speech must incorporate civility and respect.

  9. The problem of not investing in power generation was created by MMD who did nothing in their 20 years in power. The PF is at least working on that. Learn to give credit where it is due.
    You may not like Edgar, but surely he has tried his best in this area. Ask yourself, what did others apart from Kaunda for the energy sector?

    • Iwe kapala PF arrived and cancelled the Kafue Gorge expansion project RB had commissioned and should have been completed in 2016. Due to PF incompetence and corruption they have delayed the project thereby causing the loadshedding. Give credit kufyabupuba, atase.

  10. “…In the same period, another US$930 Million was spent on Transmission projects……”

    The stated period from 2014 to present….6 years.
    That is $155 million per year on transmission !!

    Was ZESCO building transmission lines and transformers from scratch country wide ?

    This figure is too high, an audit will uncover drums full of worms.
    To seasoned propagandists manipulators , puting out figures like this points to intentions of cover for looting.

  11. zesco has been around for soooo long yet look at what they call their ‘headquarters’ you think they can build even one dam? Corporate image speaks volumes of your thought pattern

  12. Prime TV is the most popular TV station in Zambia.
    Even the PF government are airing paid for programs like the Dora Sliya interview or Special Sunday interview through Prime TV to reach the masses.
    DeadNBC(ZNBC) is no longer effective.

    • Whoever gives you information must think you are a bonehead. I for one don’t watch prime because I know it’s loaded with rubbish stuff that’s 150% anti-PF. Now when I reason to myself, how can you have a totally bad GRZ and a faultless opposition?? We thought that with MMD against UNIP, Levy with FTJ etc. Upnd supporters love prime TV, everyone else prefers ZNBC.

  13. failure, failure, failure all over these are issues kampongo need to raise attention to instead of homosexual. we need power we are paying. our tuntembas a closed and cant pay our rents, school going children have stopped going to school. no food .

  14. You may dislike Prime TV for your own personal reasons but on this one you just better stop calling it fake news. The video clip is clear what MD said and what is fake news is the denial by Zesco.

  15. We challenge the government to have an independent enquiry into the real reasons for load shedding. You can’t blame this on climate change because it’s no secret that weather patterns have changed over the years but either way, you still can generate power from the sun, wind or rain. What’s your excuse? This government signed a project to build a road at a cost of $1 billion dollars but failed to provide power capacity to mitigate against load shedding?

  16. The problem of inadequate power supply is multifaceted. Poor management and lack of adequate investment is part of the problem which has been worsened by climate change. There is no need of swallowing your vomit Mr. Mudenda. What you said is common sense.

  17. The energy problem has a latrge chunk of it that is also ‘man made’. All those amounts of money alledgedly spent above and still in a worse state. Lack of a vision and political interferance are some of the other reasons.

    By the way, people should not just rush to dismiss Prime News – they were merely a messenger. I watched the video – why doesn’t everyone do so before making wild denials? Unless the words were super imposed on him, he did actually indicate frustration with the energy & finance ministries to do with funding/investments. He does even refer to putting his head on the chopping board.

  18. The news will be real until you explain to the nation why ZESCO was left out of the privatisation program by successive governments. If it’s fake news then please tell us why this utility company is being neglected? We know you’re waiting the time to get closer to elections.&

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