United Kwacha member, Citizens First, demands sack of energy minister

The United Kwacha Alliance (UKA) member, Citizens First (CF), has called for the dismissal of Energy Minister, Peter Kapala, citing incompetence.

CF Spokesperson, Frank Sichone, stated on Thursday that Kapala should be replaced with someone capable of introducing new ideas to resolve the country’s energy crisis.

Speaking to journalists in Lusaka, Sichone criticized ZESCO, the national electricity company, for its lack of direction and reliance on blaming climate change while resorting to power cuts.

“The firing of Kapala is an immediate short-term measure as we wait for 2026 to remove the entire government that has failed to fix these problems,” Sichone asserted. “The energy crisis requires urgent attention and new leadership with fresh ideas.”

Sichone boasted that CF had the necessary people and solutions to address the nation’s issues, unlike the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) government.

He accused the current administration of failing to present both immediate and long-term solutions to save businesses from collapse.

“The President has taken pleasure in a minister who cannot bring new ideas to the table. The failure of the minister reflects the President’s and his government’s inability to listen to new ideas,” Sichone stated.

He also criticized the government for exporting power to neighboring countries while Zambia faces an energy crisis.

Sichone proposed that the government revoked power exports to neighboring countries.

“Currently, the government is exporting 95 MW to Namibia, 60 MW to Botswana and 40 MW to the DRC, totaling 195 megawatts. These exports should be recalled to help mitigate our energy shortage,” he said.

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