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Economist, Dr. Lubinda Haabazoka, has accused the government of taking a casual approach to addressing Zambia’s load-shedding crisis, claiming that authorities have ignored viable solutions such as investing in coal and nuclear power plants.
Haabazoka cited South Africa, the United States, Europe, and China as examples of countries utilising a combination of coal, nuclear, and hydroelectric power to meet their energy demands.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Thursday, he claimed that the government had failed to take the issue seriously, despite the fact that coal power plants were cheaper to build and Zambia had abundant coal resources.
He further argued that even if Zambia reached 3,000 megawatts of power production, it would still not be enough due to suppressed power demand.
“Honestly speaking, we have not handled the load shedding issue very well. We have been too casual about it, and the solutions offered have been too casual and dependent on chance,” Haabazoka said.
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He noted that the government’s reliance on solar energy to reduce demand was unrealistic, arguing that even countries like Namibia and Germany, which have abundant solar resources, have struggled with energy security.
“This has not been achieved, even in Namibia with all that desert sun, or in Germany, which is now struggling with the lack of Russian gas. Why do we think it will work in Zambia?” he questioned.
Haabazoka claimed that the government and ZESCO’s focus on solar energy was impractical for industrial use and urged authorities to prioritize coal power plants for immediate relief while considering nuclear energy as a long-term solution.
He further argued that the government had the financial capacity to invest in nuclear power through tax revenues collected from citizens.
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