It’s clear that this country has gotten accustomed to the culture of tolerating nonsense, to the extent that state institutions just indulge in it without shame and without fear of penalties.
This is why in this country, Zesco has kept a huge section of the population in almost perpetual darkness, where residents actually don’t remember the last time they saw electricity in their homes.
We all remember that Zesco applied to the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) for an emergency tariff hike, which at first was conveniently rejected by the board on the pretext that the utility company failed to assure that they would ensure increased hours of energy supply. With the adjustments that happened in the background, Zesco came up with another application, only that this time they would ensure an uptick in the supply of electricity with that emergency tariff.
The electricity company assured that they would provide electricity supply for seven hours daily. However, they never informed the public that the same 7-hours came with very serious caveats, where the utility company would not take on board the interests of a huge section of society in terms of providing meaningful power supply. The utility company has gone on to effect the most shameless service provision, where they only supply electricity at midnight and take it away early in the morning to a huge section of the society. In fact, this should not even be described as a service because there is literally no service Zesco is actually offering here. Of what use is electricity at midnight? What are people going to do with it? In fact, Zesco is encouraging unhealthy lifestyle in the country, where people’s sleep is being distrubed daily, with very serious consequences on the wellbeing of the inhabitants.
It has now become clear to all that the emergency tariff hike had no human face to it in the first place. The saddest part is that the shameless impunity from Zesco is being aided with glee from those in government. In reality, those in government are the ones who should take the blame, as those at Zesco are directly under their control and tutelage. There is no way this impunity could happen without the involvement of State House and its lackeys.
The ERB has said they will review the tariff hike at the monthend of January, 2025. We sure can’t hope for that to come quickly, and based on how Zambians have been shortchanged on this tariff hike, it should not be difficult to arrive at the decision. This has been an abject failure on the part of the government and Zesco to fulfil their part of the bargain. If anything, consumers should be refunded for having been lied to in the first place. There is simply no way you can provide electricity at midnight just in the name of providing 7-hour supply.
If there are some of our citizens our there with the privilege of enjoying electricity supply during the day and evening time, you probably are among the privileged few, and you could be enjoying that benefit not really because they care about you, but because they are serving some narrow interests. It’s possible that there could be a concentration of some senior government officials who are being prioritised. The goal posts would surely change in the twinkling of an eye if the same were to move to areas that are being kept in almost perpetual darkness.
That Zesco has gone about handling matters in the manner it has only confirms how primitive our society really is. Such would never be allowed in civilised societies, or even in societies were citizens don’t tolerate nonsense.
By Daily Revelation Editor
It’s clear that this country has gotten accustomed to the culture of tolerating nonsense, to the extent that state institutions just indulge in it without shame and without fear of penalties.
This is why in this country, Zesco has kept a huge section of the population in almost perpetual darkness, where residents actually don’t remember the last time they saw electricity in their homes.
We all remember that Zesco applied to the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) for an emergency tariff hike, which at first was conveniently rejected by the board on the pretext that the utility company failed to assure that they would ensure increased hours of energy supply. With the adjustments that happened in the background, Zesco came up with another application, only that this time they would ensure an uptick in the supply of electricity with that emergency tariff.
The electricity company assured that they would provide electricity supply for seven hours daily. However, they never informed the public that the same 7-hours came with very serious caveats, where the utility company would not take on board the interests of a huge section of society in terms of providing meaningful power supply. The utility company has gone on to effect the most shameless service provision, where they only supply electricity at midnight and take it away early in the morning to a huge section of the society. In fact, this should not even be described as a service because there is literally no service Zesco is actually offering here. Of what use is electricity at midnight? What are people going to do with it? In fact, Zesco is encouraging unhealthy lifestyle in the country, where people’s sleep is being distrubed daily, with very serious consequences on the wellbeing of the inhabitants.
It has now become clear to all that the emergency tariff hike had no human face to it in the first place. The saddest part is that the shameless impunity from Zesco is being aided with glee from those in government. In reality, those in government are the ones who should take the blame, as those at Zesco are directly under their control and tutelage. There is no way this impunity could happen without the involvement of State House and its lackeys.
The ERB has said they will review the tariff hike at the monthend of January, 2025. We sure can’t hope for that to come quickly, and based on how Zambians have been shortchanged on this tariff hike, it should not be difficult to arrive at the decision. This has been an abject failure on the part of the government and Zesco to fulfil their part of the bargain. If anything, consumers should be refunded for having been lied to in the first place. There is simply no way you can provide electricity at midnight just in the name of providing 7-hour supply.
If there are some of our citizens our there with the privilege of enjoying electricity supply during the day and evening time, you probably are among the privileged few, and you could be enjoying that benefit not really because they care about you, but because they are serving some narrow interests. It’s possible that there could be a concentration of some senior government officials who are being prioritised. The goal posts would surely change in the twinkling of an eye if the same were to move to areas that are being kept in almost perpetual darkness.
That Zesco has gone about handling matters in the manner it has only confirms how primitive our society really is. Such would never be allowed in civilised societies, or even in societies were citizens don’t tolerate nonsense.
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