Zambia Wake-Up Party (ZAWAPA) President Howard Kunda has urged the Government to import electricity in order to mitigate the impact of the power deficit amid the planned prolonged hours of load shedding.
Power utility Zesco Limited has announced eight-hours of load shedding starting on March 11 owing to the inconsistent rainfall pattern experienced during the 2023/2024 rainy season.
Speaking to Radio Icengelo News in Ndola, Mr. Kunda said the planned long hours of Zesco power load shedding will destroy medium and small scale businesses and impact negatively on the national economy.
The immediate past Muchinga Member of Parliament said the Government should use taxpayers money to subsidise electricity.
“This issue of load shedding will affect us badly as a nation because all the entrepreneurs who have barbershops, hair salons, welding shops will be deprived of eight hours of production. Surely where are we going if entrepreneurs cannot be productive for eight (8) hours? The Government must import power,” Mr. Kunda said.
“During the PF regime we had two hours or four hours of load shedding utmost but now load shedding is starting at 8 hours. We say no to eight hours of load shedding. Let the Government import power using taxpayer’s money, let people’s money work. The tax people pay is not for Government officials to enrich themselves. We want the Government to give service to the people and that service is about importing power to cushion the people of Zambia so that productivity continues. Load shedding will worsen the hunger situation in the country,” he said.
The former Parliamentary Public Accounts committee Chairperson noted that globally Governments provide subsidies to their people.
“Let’s have a heart for the people. Countries all over the world provide subsidies on things like electricity and fuel. Even powerful nations such as America or the UK subsidise things that matter. We are destroying our economy by not having reasonable priced elements in the energy sector. We should not be following IMF requirements blindly. Let’s use local solutions and local resources to better our country,” Mr. Kunda concluded.
One man briefcase party just seeking political relevance…next ?
At least better than the other useless parties, any party is better than the 2 big ones
I think so too Cosmos. The two big parties UPND and PF are both directionless thieving machines who are only in it for the money. Listening to the two of them I hear nothing national in philosophy or agenda. They are robots turning up for work and programmed to identify loopholes for theft.
He makes perfect sense to me,we are back to covid days.
Why is Loading Shedding in the day time and not at night? What type of id iots thought of this , typicial fo ols no knowledge of business or anything else. one has to look at what happened in SA, get onto solar.
What he’s said is correct. There’s nothing wrong in government spending money on its people. After all if they don’t spend it they’ll then steal it. This government is very greedy. They sold all the maize last time and haven’t accounted for the money. They’re exporting electricity and don’t account for the money. Things are worse because of their greed. The foreign debt that the PF left at $11.0BN has short to $18.5BN in 2 yrs! Where’s the money?
Comment:A thief thinks those now in power are doing what himself used to do.Shame!