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ZESCO, Zambia’s power utility company, has announced the resumption of three to five-hour load shedding starting Monday, November 25, 2024.
The decision follows a nationwide blackout on Sunday, November 24, which left miners trapped underground at sites in Chambishi and Mindolo, disrupted power across the country, and extended to neighboring Zimbabwe.
The development marked a setback from ZESCO’s October assurance of a stable seven-hour daily power supply, which was linked to the Energy Regulation Board’s (ERB) approval of an emergency tariff adjustment.
The tariff hike was projected to raise US$15 million monthly to import 300 megawatts (MW) of electricity.
Addressing a joint press briefing with the ERB held at the ERB head offices Lusaka, ZESCO Acting Managing Director, Justin Longo, explained the sequence of events leading to the outage.
Longo revealed that maintenance on the power line connecting Zambia to Namibia’s grid, conducted earlier in November, had already reduced supply and prompted load shedding.
“From November 1 to November 16, we achieved a six-hour daily power supply, a significant improvement from previous drought-induced cuts,” Longo said.
“However, on November 24, a system disturbance at 20:15 hours disrupted Zambia’s connection to Zimbabwe, resulting in the return of three to five-hour load shedding.”
Longo assured the public that ZESCO would restore the seven-hour supply once the connection with Zimbabwe’s grid is fully repaired.
Read More: Zambia experiences nationwide blackout, hospitals badly hit
In the aftermath of the blackout, Ministry of Information and Media Permanent Secretary Thabo Kawana confirmed that no lives were lost.
“The Ministry of Health swiftly activated emergency power systems to keep critical medical installations operational.
The University Teaching Hospital regained power within 30 minutes,” Kawana stated.
Separately, Ministry of Energy Permanent Secretary, Peter Mumba, confirmed that miners trapped underground during the blackout were safely rescued.
The affected sites included a Chinese-owned mine in Chambishi and Mopani’s Mindolo Shaft.
“All trapped individuals were safely rescued, thanks to alternative power supplies provided by ZESCO, Copperbelt Energy Power Company Plc, and Ndola Energy Company Limited,” Mumba said, commending the swift response.
The blackout underscored the challenges facing Zambia’s energy sector, despite recent measures to stabilize supply.
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