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The New Heritage Party (NHP) has urged President Hakainde Hichilema to declare the ongoing electricity deficit in Zambia a national emergency.
Party president, Chishala Kateka, stated that such a declaration would mobilise essential financial, logistical and human resources to address the crisis promptly.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Tuesday, Kateka expressed disappointment over ZESCO’s latest electricity rationing schedule, which limited power supply to a maximum of three hours per day.
She said that the Zambian Constitution and subsidiary laws provided mechanisms that the government can invoke to mitigate emergencies such as this.
“The NHP, therefore, calls upon Parliament, the Attorney General’s office, and other relevant institutions to be proactive and diligent in implementing emergency measures,” Kateka said.
She urged President Hichilema to invoke relevant legal provisions, including Article 31 of the Constitution, which allowed the declaration of a state of emergency or disaster in situations of national crises.
Kateka cited Article 32, which granted the President powers to make regulations during a state of emergency or disaster and the Emergency Powers Act (CAP 112), which allowed the President to maintain public order, safety and supplies during emergencies.
Additionally, she pointed to the Disaster Management Act No. 13 of 2010, which establishes the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) to coordinate disaster response, and Section 25 of the Electricity Act No. 11 of 2019, which empowers the Minister of Energy to declare an electricity supply emergency.
“The State of Emergency (Essential Services) Regulations (SI No. 33 of 2020) enables the government to maintain essential services, including electricity, during emergencies,” Kateka added.
Kateka underscored the critical role of electricity in driving the nation’s economy and serving households, public health, and other essential institutions.
She warned that Zambia would face prolonged economic recovery from the current power crisis, which she attributed partly to natural disasters but also to governmental incompetence, arrogance and corruption.
“The half-hearted measures that the government and ZESCO have announced so far to try and mitigate this national disaster show a lack of seriousness, amounting to economic sabotage,” Kateka said.
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