PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has attributed Zesco’s protracted financial difficulties and the resultant nationwide power cuts to past politically driven decisions that compelled the state-owned power utility to operate at a loss for years.
Speaking at the commissioning of a 100-megawatt solar power plant in Chisamba yesterday, President Hichilema stated that Zesco was previously forced to function like a charity, providing electricity below cost while simultaneously being expected to maintain and expand its infrastructure.
This, he explained, created the conditions that have led to the current daily load shedding.
“Zesco was in a difficult situation. It is the political people that put Zesco in a difficult situation by allowing Zesco to trade at a loss,” President Hichilema said.
The Head of State emphasised that his administration has rejected this approach and is instead encouraging the utility to operate profitably.
This profitability, he noted, will enable the utility to invest in increased power generation and ultimately eliminate blackouts.
Zambia has been grappling with severe load shedding since earlier this last year, primarily due to critically low water levels at the Kariba Dam, the country’s main hydropower source, caused by poor rainfall.
With over 80 percent of Zambia’s power derived from hydropower, the deficit immediately led to widespread blackouts and a reduction in industrial output.
President Hichilema affirmed that his government is collaborating closely with Zesco to implement reforms aimed at restoring the utility’s financial health and improving its efficiency.
He added that the commissioning of new solar power projects, such as the Chisamba facility, is part of a broader government strategy to diversify Zambia’s energy sources.
This diversification seeks to lessen the country’s dependence on hydropower, which has proven vulnerable to climate change and droughts.
The newly operational Chisamba plant is now the fifth-largest single solar power generation installation in Africa, trailing only facilities in Egypt, Morocco, and two sites in South Africa.
By George Musonda
Kalemba July 1, 2025
