THE purchasing of solar panels and gensets for hospitals and clinics countrywide is a clear sign that the Government is not resting on its laurels concerning load-shedding in the country.
These are indicators that the load shedding that some sections of the opposition movement have politicised is surmountable with consistent efforts being manifested by the Patriotic Front Government.
It is also heartening to note that some objective individuals like former Energy Sector and Allied Workers Union general secretary Yotam Mtayachalo have informed the nation that the current power deficit should not be blamed on President Edgar Lungu because there has not been significant investment in power generation in the last 40 years.
Mr Mtayachalo said it was wrong for people, especially opposition political parties and the labour movement, to apportion the blame on President Lungu because the problem was historical.
Is it not interesting considering that one of the foremost critics of load-shedding is one Edith Nawakwi who once served as Energy minister and should have made significant investment in power generation that she is now condemning?
Our know-it-all expert recently charged that the massive power outages were as a result of ‘political foolishness’ and not the purported low water levels in Kariba Dam.
Speaking on UNZA Radio, the FDD leader, who once served as Energy minister in the MMD government, said the current massive load-shedding was unjustifiable. Really Ms Nawakwi?
Realising the number of critics who are politicising the power deficit, President Edgar Lungu told the nation that the issue should not be politicised.
He, however, said power outages by Zesco called for concerted efforts from the stakeholders, the church and politicians to assist the Government in resolving the matter.
The President said the issue of water was serious and needed not to be politicised but instead find ways of addressing it amicably.
Mr Lungu said short and long-term measures like importation of about 150 megawatts of power from the neighbouring Mozambique was being undertaken.
He disclosed that the 300 mega-watts Maamba Coal power plant, expected to be commissioned in November this year, would help cushion the current power deficit Zambia was experiencing.
The Head of State further disclosed that the Government was promoting alternative renewable energy technologies that did not depend on water to generate electricity such as solar and geo-thermal biomass, among others.
President Lungu also directed Energy Minister Christopher Yaluma to ensure the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Zambia and Mozambique was expedited.
He said Zambia and Zimbabwe had been hit by a power deficit due to low water levels as a result of the poor rainfall pattern during the 2014/2015 rainy season.
The President explained that the water flow into the reservoirs were not adequate for the national power generation requirement to meet the escalating national demand until the end of 2015.
It is good to note that the Government is not paying lip service to the subject but is making efforts to alleviate it.
One such radical move is the purchasing of solar panels and gensets in hospital and clinics.