Asking those in mayadis to fend for their own energy needs

By Daily Revelation Editor

President Hakainde Hichilema last Friday publicly stated what many, including ourselves, had observed as a sudden uptick in the supply of electricity in the so-called compounds or kombonis.

It was our opinion then that the sudden uptick might not be necessarily linked to genuine acts of service towards people in these densely populated areas, and that the same could mainly be linked towards narrow partisan interests where the government wants to remove the inconvenience of having blackouts in areas which provide a huge basket in terms of voters.

It was our opinion that the act was too sudden, and was only coming now as the country was about to enter into serious electioneering, almost two years since the blackouts started.

But during his national address last Friday, Hichilema said the government was working on a policy of increasing supply in compounds, while reducing the supply in the so-called sparsely populated upper markets, or mayadis.

He said that at least those in mayadis or the well to do, could afford to install solar energy on their premises.

While Hichilema could have an argument about the well-to-do having better means to install solar energy on their premises, however, not everyone that lives in the mayadis could be described as well to do. Yes, they can afford to do one or two things more than those in the compounds, but for many their way of living could just be described as simply hand to mouth. Apart from having to handle the day to day feeding of their families, paying school fees, paying for rentals and maintaining their standard of life, surely many cannot afford the inconveniences of being burdened with the extra costs of installing energy on their premises.

There are just certain things in the country that should be handled solely by the government, without the same government seeming to abdicate its role to private individuals.

Hichilema himself once said while making his many promissory notes during his opposition days, that electricity was a necessity of life which should be provided to people at an affordable cost.

It is not right for a government to seemingly abdicate its role by transferring the responsibilities it was elected to provide to the private citizens. Those in the mayadis are just as Zambian as those in the compounds, and should therefore not be discriminated against by their own government to be tasked with the responsibilities of handling matters which should be under the purview of the government.

The solution to the crisis the nation finds itself in is by prioritising Zambians, both those in compounds and mayadis, in the provision of electricity supply, by reducing on some of the energy being exported outside Zambian as it is people here who need it the most. Why should the Zambians in the mayadis be asked to provide their own electricity while those in Botswana, or even the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are enjoying the energy being produced in Zambia?

Yes, this country has had blackouts, especially in very rare times of inadequate rain seasons, but supply has been restored to normalcy in subsequent years after recording good rains, something which has not happened following the good rains of 2024-2025 season.