Worsening blackouts in the country

By Daily Revelation Editor

Finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane says the government is enhancing electricity supply reliability by adding 125 megawatts renewable energy to the national grid.

In a media statement issued on Sunday, Musokotwane argued that the country’s economic and social transformation agenda was firmly on track, with tangible progress across all pillars of the 8NDP

“Investments in renewable energy added 125MW to the national grid, enhancing supply reliability and opening opportunities for green investments – the Chisamba and Mailo solar projects are now live. 19,619 new customers were connected to electricity in the second quarter alone,” Musokotwane stated. “14 new communication towers were installed, plus 525 Starlink units deployed to rural areas nationwide, expanding internet access and digital services.”

While Musokotwane talking about adding 125MW to the nation grid is a good thing, however, the sad reality is that the same isn’t being felt by the ordinary masses right now. Just a few days before that announcement, the country’s utility company actually announced further blackouts of 19 hours daily load shedding due to the megawatts that will be knocked from the system on account of the maintenance works at Maamba Collieries. This means that with the five hours, Zambians now only have access to 20 percent electricity supply daily. The furthest they have enjoyed in terms of electricity supply for a very, very long time is 7 hours at most, or 29.1 percent daily. In short, blackouts have now become an unwanted part of this nation’s way of living, with devastating repercussions.

President Hakainde Hichilema castigated his predecessors for being visionless and as the Chimbwi with no plan to address the nation’s problems, mourning how they had failed to address the country’s energy needs, when countries like Saudi Arabia, which was situated in the desert had found solutions. It seems he too has failed to find the solutions to the crippling blackouts affecting the country.

We wonder where the Hichilema who proclaimed that electricity was the necessity of life has gone to, when the blackouts have now become part of everyday life of the people he is presiding over. And while Zambians are enduring the darkness, our friends in neighboring countries such as Zimbabwe are now lightening up with people enjoying 21 hours of daily access to electricity due to appreciable water levels in water bodies such as the Kariba Dam, which is shared between the two countries.

Clearly, there is a very big problem here. It seems the government finds pleasure in finding ways to export the much needed energy through some questionable companies with very strong links to the powerful in government.

And we wish to disagree with Musokotwane when he claims that the government is enhancing supply reliability. We actually wonder what matrix Musokotwane is using to claim such because clearly there is nothing that comes closer to what he is saying. If anything, things are worsening as even the improved supply that Zambians were promised in the event of good rains, which the nation enjoyed in the last rainfall season, the same chimbwi no plan power challenges have persisted.

In a message from ZESCO, which was posted on the UPND Facebook page on May 19, 2025, the utility company expressed cautious optimism regarding Zambia’s ongoing load shedding crisis, attributing the anticipated relief to improving water levels in Lake Kariba.

During a media briefing at the Kariba North Bank Power Station in Siavonga, senior manager Christopher Singogo revealed that while an official end to load shedding had not been declared, there was hope for improvement by August 2025.