By Staff Reporter
ZESCO has further reduced the hours of electricity supply to consumers across the country from the promised 6-hours to 4-hours daily now.
However, ZESCO has not explained to Zambians the sudden reduction in the supply hours, as calls made to their managing director Justine Loongo have gone unanswered.
The most the majority of the country has experienced in terms of power supply in the last two years since the start of the crippling blackouts, which have sent many into the deeper abyss of hopelessness and left many business shattered, is 7-hours at most.
However, after a brief period of the same provision of 7-hour supply, things went downhill in the month of September, 2025 resulting in the provision of only about 3-hours of power supply, following what the government described as maintenance works at Maamba Collieries.
A few weeks after that, Energy minister Makozo Chikote announced that the least Zambians would endure in terms of electricity supply was about 6-hours, with those in some compounds receiving 10-hours out of the 24 daily hours.
But in the last three days, people across the country have confirmed receiving only 4-hours of daily supply, without any explanation from the utility company on the changed status.
Efforts to get ZESCO to explain on the same have proved futile as the calls made to Loongo have gone unanswered.
When queries were raised with the ZESCO board chairman to explain the reduced supply hours and why his managing director and his management were not coming forth to explain to the public, Ncube referred queries to the same Loongo who has refused to take calls.
“Find out from the MD about the power situation. I am not in charge of operations. Find out from MD about such things that are operational,” responded Ncube when contacted for comment.
Zambia has endured crippling blackouts since 2023, with the hope that seemed to have been ignited following the excellent rains from the 2024-2025 rain season having already faded away and given in to hopelessness.
Zambia’s next door neighbor, Zimbabwe, a few months ago increased electricity supply to 21 hours daily following what the government there described as appreciable water levels in the Kariba, which the two countries share for energy and other biodiversity needs.
