President Hakainde Hichilema says Zambia’s ongoing power crisis is a source of personal distress as the electricity shortage is giving him sleepless nights as his government works to stabilise the energy sector.
Speaking to UPND members from different structures in Lusaka two days ago, President Hichilema said the country’s over dependence on hydropower left it exposed to the impacts of climate change, particularly the drought that has severely reduced water levels and crippled electricity generation.
He apologised for the ongoing inconvenience.
“I’m sorry to a lot of our people who are going through load shedding. We are working hard to fix what wasn’t done for over 50 years.”
The president pointed out that previous governments failed to invest in alternative energy sources like solar and coal.
President Hichilema emphasised that while the current situation is difficult, the steps being taken now will secure the country’s energy future.
“We are not just reacting to the crisis, we are building long-term solutions. We’re doing what should have been done decades ago,” he said.
The President is right when he says that previous administrations did not do enough to invest in alternative energy sources, and unfortunately left the country exposed to the unpredictability of hydropower generation.
However, the statement from Hichilema needs to be qualified as some of his supporters have put a blanket statement on the matter, by indicating that there wasn’t any investment in electricity generation at all since independence. Of course, the investment has been there, only that it was not adequate. The UNIP government did their own little part, MMD also did theirs as well as the PF, and now the UPND.
In July 2021, then president Edgar Lungu indicated that after taking over government in 2011, the country only generated about 1900 megawatts but by 2021 was generating 3200 megawatts.
“Upon forming Government in 2011, my Government identified the need to invest in the energy infrastructure. We have made tough decisions to improve many sectors of our economy, such as energy,” said Lungu.
Hichilema has also mentioned his own administration’s investment, including the solar energy and coal that would be coming on board to cushion the energy deficit.
However, Hichilema must not use previous administrations to abdicate his own flaws right now, and he actually has to admit that the current blackout season is the most prolonged and worst in the country’s history.
Usually, this country has faced serious droughts before, including the famous one in the 1990s under the administration of Frederick Chiluba, with its associate yellow maize. The country also faced serious droughts under Levy Mwanawasa in the early 2000s, with the then president even going as far as rejecting the donation of genetically modified maize. During the administration of Lungu, the country also faced serious droughts, with the attendant second worst loadshedding period. And under Hichilema, the country faced one of the worst droughts ever in the 2023-24 rain season. But in all the worst droughts the nation went through, the loadshedding period wasn’t as bad as the one experienced under Hichilema. Never in the history of this country have millions of Zambians endured only 7-hours at most in terms of enjoyment of electricity for two years running. To be more specific, the schedule right now allow millions to only have access to electricity for four hours daily.
It’s understandable that this country has endured blackouts during some of the worst droughts, but there has almost been an instant recovery following good rainfall seasons, which has not happened under the current circumstances following the excellent rains from the 2024-2025 season. Some have actually said that while the government has been too quick to praise the good rains for the wonderful harvest, the same has not happened with the blackouts.
Hichilema himself was famous for denouncing his predecessors as visionless for failing to provide adequate electricity during blackouts, so much so that he once claimed that he would end loadshedding in 7 months if he were elected into office. He’s been in office for four years now, two years of which he has presided over the worst loadshedding and has not provided the solutions he claimed he would provide in 7 months. If anything, things are worsening in that field under his watch.
President Hakainde Hichilema says Zambia’s ongoing power crisis is a source of personal distress as the electricity shortage is giving him sleepless nights as his government works to stabilise the energy sector.
Speaking to UPND members from different structures in Lusaka two days ago, President Hichilema said the country’s over dependence on hydropower left it exposed to the impacts of climate change, particularly the drought that has severely reduced water levels and crippled electricity generation.
He apologised for the ongoing inconvenience.
“I’m sorry to a lot of our people who are going through load shedding. We are working hard to fix what wasn’t done for over 50 years.”
The president pointed out that previous governments failed to invest in alternative energy sources like solar and coal.
President Hichilema emphasised that while the current situation is difficult, the steps being taken now will secure the country’s energy future.
“We are not just reacting to the crisis, we are building long-term solutions. We’re doing what should have been done decades ago,” he said.
The President is right when he says that previous administrations did not do enough to invest in alternative energy sources, and unfortunately left the country exposed to the unpredictability of hydropower generation.
However, the statement from Hichilema needs to be qualified as some of his supporters have put a blanket statement on the matter, by indicating that there wasn’t any investment in electricity generation at all since independence. Of course, the investment has been there, only that it was not adequate. The UNIP government did their own little part, MMD also did theirs as well as the PF, and now the UPND.
In July 2021, then president Edgar Lungu indicated that after taking over government in 2011, the country only generated about 1900 megawatts but by 2021 was generating 3200 megawatts.
“Upon forming Government in 2011, my Government identified the need to invest in the energy infrastructure. We have made tough decisions to improve many sectors of our economy, such as energy,” said Lungu.
Hichilema has also mentioned his own administration’s investment, including the solar energy and coal that would be coming on board to cushion the energy deficit.
However, Hichilema must not use previous administrations to abdicate his own flaws right now, and he actually has to admit that the current blackout season is the most prolonged and worst in the country’s history.
Usually, this country has faced serious droughts before, including the famous one in the 1990s under the administration of Frederick Chiluba, with its associate yellow maize. The country also faced serious droughts under Levy Mwanawasa in the early 2000s, with the then president even going as far as rejecting the donation of genetically modified maize. During the administration of Lungu, the country also faced serious droughts, with the attendant second worst loadshedding period. And under Hichilema, the country faced one of the worst droughts ever in the 2023-24 rain season. But in all the worst droughts the nation went through, the loadshedding period wasn’t as bad as the one experienced under Hichilema. Never in the history of this country have millions of Zambians endured only 7-hours at most in terms of enjoyment of electricity for two years running. To be more specific, the schedule right now allow millions to only have access to electricity for four hours daily.
It’s understandable that this country has endured blackouts during some of the worst droughts, but there has almost been an instant recovery following good rainfall seasons, which has not happened under the current circumstances following the excellent rains from the 2024-2025 season. Some have actually said that while the government has been too quick to praise the good rains for the wonderful harvest, the same has not happened with the blackouts.
Hichilema himself was famous for denouncing his predecessors as visionless for failing to provide adequate electricity during blackouts, so much so that he once claimed that he would end loadshedding in 7 months if he were elected into office. He’s been in office for four years now, two years of which he has presided over the worst loadshedding and has not provided the solutions he claimed he would provide in 7 months. If anything, things are worsening in that field under his watch.
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