Govt promises ‘three hours of stable power’ daily as consumers continue to groan over outages

The Zambian government has announced that retail customers would receive at least three hours of stable power supply daily starting in October 2024.

Energy Minister, Makozo Chikote, attributed this improvement to the completion of repairs at Maamba Collieries Limited and the rectification of a fault on the power transmission line linking Zambia to Namibia.

Speaking at a monthly media briefing held at the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) in Lusaka on Wednesday, Chikote described September as the most challenging period of power shortages, with the country facing prolonged power rationing.

“I wish to inform the nation that, as of October, the country will have at least three hours of stable power supply daily for retail customers. The situation is expected to continue improving moving forward,” he said.

The minister acknowledged that while this was not the ideal outcome, the government was exploring additional measures to mitigate the economic impact of the ongoing power crisis.

Chikote added that the Kariba North Bank Power Station continues to operate at minimal capacity to maintain regional power system stability.

“In demonstrating good leadership, His Excellency, President Hakainde Hichilema, has called upon private power traders to assist in addressing Zambia’s power deficit,” Chikote said.

He commended private power traders for their swift response to the President’s call, emphasizing that such partnerships were crucial to overcoming the immediate power challenges and ensuring sustainable energy growth in the future.

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