By McPherson Chanda
I am not sure how President Lungu shouldn’t be given full credit for implementing a project which he discussed and negotiated for in 2015 as the nation begun facing crippling power shortages and blackouts. Granted the bilateral ties between Zambia and China date back to the KK era and there was a visit in 2007 by a Chinese Leader during the Mwanawasa era over which a regrettable “political quarrel” was referred to by Uncle Magande occurred.
Now, if it takes 8 years for a project to be revisited, signed – off and implemented it begs the question what was not done under Presidents RB and Sata over the Kafue Gorge Lower Power Project which Pres Lungu did and assured the nation that load – shedding would end? Matter of fact Chinese bilateral aid from TAZARA, Great North Road, Mwanawasa Stadium etc doesn’t take #years to move from signing to implementation.
In addition, apart from the 150 megawatts added from the first turbine at Kafue Gorge Lower, the PF Administration has ALREADY doubled the country’s power generation capacity from 1,600 to 3,200 over the past 10 years. (For argument’s sake, take away the 150 Megawatts added, there is still over 1,300 that has been brought on board).
It can be agreed that PF needs to do better in managing the #exchange rate because it has been driving the high INFLATION rate or the sharp increase in prices.
However, among the things that cannot be argued is that PF has scored very well in the ENERGY SECTOR. Load shedding is over and the addition of the remaining 600 megawatts from Kafue Gorge Lower Hydro – Power Station will add to the country’s future #export earnings.
In fairness, President Edgar Chagwa Lungu gets full marks for this. A daunting crisis chose him and he faced – up to it. It is fine to give credit where it is due – even to an opponent when he scores.
Yes , he gets some marks for doing part of his job right……
But any one can do this with borrowed money, now if you tell them they can even default on repayments of that borrowed money , most people will have the economy at full throttle, where lungu has failed lamentably ……
This is like having a question with parts A, B, C and D …..
Where a student only gets part A right and trying to insist he gets full marks for the whole question……
Even that part lungu got right many will argue about the costs, over $2 billion, we have seen bigger hydro dams for less .
Why did Michael Sata cancel a contract which had already been negotiated and signed under Rupiah Banda only to hv another contract signed again and at a higher price for the same project? Why don’t u help with answers McPherson Chanda?
@Nemwine, so you wanted ECL to sit on it because Sata cancelled it? Why deny him credit for correcting the wrong? Tuleke amano yabu Under 5.
Spaka, give credit where it is due. Like you have said a paper with parts A, B, C, and D, ECL answers part A very well he must be given full marks for that. That is what McPherson is saying. Additionally, indeed if ECL can manage to get full credit for part A, it may mean that ECL is not dull at all as you put it. He would probably score a pass or better in the other parts of the paper.
Kawasaki @4, why behave as if Rupiah Banda had worked against the people of Zambia? Why behave as if u’re starting from ground zero? I don’t know wht u mean by under 5 but if my guess is right, the real under 5 is the person who cancelled the contract. I can see that paying more for the same project doesn’t worry u at all. But it will hit u whn u start paying for electricity more than u should.
By 2005, with Levy Mwanawasa as president, energy experts forecasted a rise in power demand-mining activity had grown significantly, local housing units were being constructed at an alarming rate in urban areas, commercial and industrial units were growing as well. The mining companies had poured over $8bn in their operations. The 2007 meeting of leaders Magande is talking about was to late to start negotiations, instead the MMD GRZ should have kicked off construction by 2006. Barely a year in power, Edgar Lungu prioritised its construction as national priority with a vision to make Zambia a regional power hub. Surely, how can one give credit to those who merely planned it instead of the one who put it into motion and completed it??
F00Iish article. The upnd are angry at this development and will do whatever it takes to politicize everything. Upnd are dogs of the lowest class. Infact hh is the lead dog. Fcuk off you motherfcukers
These projects are the duty of any government it’s not a favour but the problem. Comes when you have pipo like KZ who inflate the costs due to corruption.
This is the reason Zambia is broke.
I know thugs and rags to riches KZ is ready to flee once the pipo of Zambia boot you out
Ba Kaizer Zulu mwati munvela chizungu? Article muita foolish article kodi simunaone kuti ichita support ba Edgar Lungu? Imwe daily nikutukwana. Muzakatukwana na ba Edgar Lungu one day.
Let’s not be unreasonably suspicious of each other. If we can’t prove corruption then let’s keep quiet. This is what has delayed this project. So ECL must be commended for making this come true
Zambian Citizen, electric power deficit was predicted as long ago as 1996 whn the MMD government started connecting places like Chawama, Kanyama, Mandevu , Matero and other high density areas to the national power grid. But Zambia was too indebted at that time to borrow money for expanding power generation capacity. ECL is not starting from ground zero.
No wonder ECL says “utupuba tuletalika, ifwe tulebomba”.
ECL has put a dream to reality. He gets full marks. VOTE ECL FOR A BETTER TOMORROW
#5 Gms
July 25, 2021 At 8:34 am
“Spaka, give credit where it is due. Like you have said a paper with parts A, B, C, and D, ECL answers part A very well he must be given full marks for that. That is what McPherson is saying. Additionally, indeed if ECL can manage to get ……”
As I said earlier, anyone can build that dam with borrowed money, even Solomon, my garden hand back home.
The mark of a good leader can not be given when he fails everything else but passes one part of his job……..
Even the building of that dam…..its with borrowed money , which lungu has failed to pay back, while messing up everything
else ……
who can fail to do that ……… ????.
This social Cash transfer zampost thief has resurrected…
You can plan and theorise for as long as you wish but if do not do it, then you have done nothing. We always argue that Zambians are good at planning and policy formulation but lack ability to implement. By the way Levy Mwanawasa inherited Zambia when it had zero debt. We had just passed Hepic completion point, so why did the govt not finish this power project?
Lungu is a theiving useless id1ot who bankrupted a country, the ka worst president on earth, the @sshole has 0IQ….need I say more
Its part of the National Development plan. We all deserve a part on the back. There projects in the pipeline which the UPND will take up or complete the unfinished schools and Hospitals. Will you give credit to the grz that started the project or completed it? Its part of development if anything we need more and arguing over who has done what. Projects will be there whether the country is run prudently or not. I will only give kudos to a presdo who will improve the economy while at the same time delivering projects.
Its part of the National Development plan. We all deserve a pat on the back. There are projects in the pipeline which the UPND will take up or complete the unfinished schools and Hospitals. Will you give credit to the grz that started the project or completed them? Its part of development if anything we need more instead of arguing over who has done what . Projects will be there whether the country is run prudently or not. I will only give kudos to a presdo who will improve the economy while at the same time delivering projects.
We are used to not holding our leaders to account. We receive one piece of infrastructure and we start arguing over who has delivered this and that. If we continue over praising leaders over what they have been employed for then for sure this country wont go any where as there will be no need to please us further. Its like your child has just had a five in English and nine in the other subjects and it does not affect you or hit your pocket hard despite taking that child to Mpelembe or better. Only Mwanawsa delivered a pass mark of 35%. As of the rest after KK (45%) i cant even comment. We need a leader who will deliver 90%. Let us not be happy with mediocre standards of service delivery and be comfortable. It is possible to deliver 90% with the amount of resources that this country is…
Fellow Zambians, this is a simple matter; Hu Jintao came and negotiated with LPM and Magande to construct a power station in 2007. Between 2007 and 2011 for whatever reason there was no construction. That is 4 years wasted under MMD. Between 2011 and 2015, still no construction. Another 4 years gone! In 2015 ECL borrowed money to put up this long term investment. Simple question is: Is Zambia going to benefit economically from this project? Not ivo vama A, B, C and chakuti please.