THE government has clarified that load shedding should not be blamed on President Hakainde Hichilema or his administration, describing it as an act of God.
Chief Government spokesperson Cornelius Mweetwa addressed the issue during a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday.
“Load shedding is nothing but an act of God as the water used for power is given by the Creator,” Mweetwa stated.
His comments come in response to former President Edgar Lungu’s recent remarks where he accused the government of being responsible for the nation’s power outages.
“It is therefore shocking to hear former president Edgar Lungu talking about load shedding in church instead of talking about God. What has load shedding got to do with the church?” wondered Mweetwa.
He emphasised that the Christian nation should recognise load shedding as a natural occurrence beyond human control.
“If there’s anything someone should talk about at church, it is to say load shedding is not a problem of President HH, it’s not a problem of the Government. This is an act of God because rain, which is requisite for water for us to produce electricity, comes from God,” he asserted.
Mweetwa criticised Lungu for drawing comparisons between himself and President Hichilema, stating that the two leaders are fundamentally different and should be contrasted, not compared.
“When we do politics, those of us privileged to be in these positions must show decency. It is inappropriate for the former president to compare us with our colleagues,” he said.
“President HH is definitely different from the leadership of yesteryears.”
He further pointed out that the current power shortage should not solely be attributed to drought but also to the failure of successive governments to invest in alternative energy sources beyond hydroelectricity, despite being aware of climate change for decades.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba June 18, 2024
