STATE House Communication Specialist Clayson Hamasaka says blackouts are not new to Zambia as even in previous administrations, such things could happen.
On Sunday, the whole country experienced a blackout of which former President Edgar Lungu claimed was as a result of how Zesco had been ruined by the current government.
In response to Lungu, Hamasaka stated that even advanced cities like New York have experienced prolonged blackouts, sometimes lasting days before the system is fully restored.
Hamasaka stated that history shows that mass power outages are not new to Zambia as similar events occurred under Lungu’s presidency and late President Levy Mwanawasa’s time.
“In fact, President Lungu himself was publicly affected by a blackout while watching a football match at Heroes Stadium,” said Hamasaka.
He added that such blackouts are not necessarily linked to the level of investment in the electricity sector as purported by the former president.
He explained that Lungu also left the sector in a worse shape as he burdened Zambia with significant electricity debt to Mozambique and failed to resolve disputes between Maamba Coal-Fired Power Plant and Zesco which resulted in costly litigation in London courts.
Hamasaka advised the former president to focus on offering constructive solutions instead of politicising issues rooted in his administration’s failures.
He assured that President Hakainde Hichilema is making strides to correct years of neglect to ensure a brighter and more sustainable energy future for Zambia.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, November 27, 2024
