Zambians must question long hours spent in darkness

By Daily Revelation Editor

Energy minister Makozo Chikote says the country is still grappling with a serious electricity deficit due to a severe El Nino related drought, which has deeply affected the country’s hydropower generations.

Chikote said the average electricity generation as of May 30, 2025, stood at 1,806Mega watts (MW) against the average national demand of 2,400MW, resulting in a deficit of 594MW, and thereby necessitating a conservative approach to ensure the harvested rain supported generation throughout the year.

It is true that the drought from the 2023-2024 rain season affected the country badly, leading to severe disruptions in energy supply and people’s livelihoods. However, it was prayer answered for many when the country experienced very good rains across the breadth and length of this country, and many were expecting that finally the agonising days spent in the long stretches of darkness would come to an end. Alas, the blackouts have persisted and have now become an unwelcome part of people’s everyday livelihood, where people are spending more than 70 percent every day in darkness.

Chikote is talking about conserving the good rains harvested in the 2024-25 rain season in order to support generation throughout the year. However, that generation can still be sustained by giving people longer hours spent with electricity than the 7-hours they are being given daily.

Chikote argues that the country is exporting 190MW under existing agreements, and that the exports are crucial for maintaining regional energy stability and providing a critical and necessary financial lifeline to ZESCO. However, the same exports require some proper scrutiny, including some of the questionable deals that have been entered into, where the ordinary Zambians are paying more right now compared to the energy being exported out of the country. The country needs a proper evaluation of some of these deals and some questionable companies that have been allocated with the contracts for the supply of electricity. A proper evaluation of who is actually benefiting from these exports must be made know to the Zambians rather than just talking about these exports on face value.

And Chikote is also talking about the country having substituted some imports with inland generation. If that is the case, will the government now consider reviewing the emergency tariffs which they claimed they had introduced in order to import energy? They should lessen the burden on the suffering Zambians a little bit. You can’t charge the same tormented people hefty tariffs on energy while keeping them in the dark for more than 70 percent daily.

We further hope that the minister and those under his ministry are preparing to transition the nation towards improved energy supply, because not too long ago, ZESCO announced an optimistic outlook for Zambia’s improved supply by August 2025, citing improving water levels in Lake Kariba as a key factor expected to boost electricity generation in the coming months.

Now is the time to work towards improving energy supply, to avoid the phenomenon of sudden improvement supply towards the 2026 general elections. Actually any improvement that will come about around the period leading towards the elections, same conditions obtaining, should be discounted as another campaign gimmick or lie, which Zambians must instantly discount. Because basic wisdom entails that the same conditions shall return immediately after the elections.