By Jane Chanda
Lusaka lawyer and Patriotic Front Matero constituency aspiring candidate Celestine Mukandila says the government’s decision to export electricity to Namibia despite Zambia’s energy challenges, is a clear indication of their capitalist mindset of prioritising profits over the welfare of citizens.
On Tuesday, a video went viral where Namibian Secretary to the Cabinet George Simataa expressed gratitude to Zambia for its unwavering commitment to exporting electricity, despite navigating significant challenges within its own energy sector.
This was during a courtesy call on Zambian Vice-President Mutale Nalumango.
In an interview on Wednesday, Mukandila said the government’s priority should be to ensure a reliable electricity supply for local businesses and citizens, rather than exporting power to other countries.
He cited an example of a local market vendor in Kalingalinga and a barber shop owner in Matero constituency who relied heavily on electricity to run their businesses.
“If the government fails to create an enabling environment for its citizens to conduct business, then it has failed to meet their expectations,” Mukandila said.
He further argued that the government’s energy policy should be re-examined to prioritise local investment and support for businesses.
“The government should give a strong policy that encourages local investment, local support of businesses, then ZESCO will just follow this policy,” he said.
The lawyer also said government did not care about the plight of its citizens, adding that all they cared about was how much money they could make.
Mukandila said ZESCO’s actions were guided by the policies set by the government, and therefore, it was imperative for the government to re-evaluate its priorities.
According to the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO), the country has been experiencing a power deficit of around 700 megawatts (MW), resulting in widespread load shedding.
In April 2022, despite this deficit, the utility company signed a 10-year Power Supply Agreement worth US$500 million to export 180MW of electricity to Namibia.
Meanwhile, ZESCO recently signed agreements to import 500MW of off-peak power at a cost of $90 million per month.