A former diplomat has written President Michael Sata to remind him on the increased Zesco power cuts also known as load shedding which the Patriotic Front, PF, promised to end in ninety days of assuming office.
Andrew Banda, who is one of former president Rupiah Banda’s sons, has lamented that power-cuts are getting worse by the day.
In a letter addressed to the president dated May 1, 2013 and made available to Zambian Reports, Andrew states that he would like to be furnished with adequate and positive information as to what President Sata is doing about the power-cuts especially that a few months ago he warned ZESCO to improve on this.
“You may wish to be reminded of the campaign promises you made in the run-up to the 2011 presidential and general elections. One of them was that regarding electricity power-cuts by ZESCO,” Andrew states.
He says President Sata made this promise at various campaign rallies throughout the country that power-cuts would end within 90 days.
“Obviously, the ninety days you promised lapsed a long time ago and you are now in your 20th month as President of the Republic of Zambia. ZESCO power-cuts are affecting many sectors of our fragile economy. At one point it even affected State House where your office and official residence are located which really is a ridiculous state of affairs to say the least,” states Mr. Banda.
He is also concerned that ZESCO management under Cyprian Chitundu has no courtesy whatsoever to even apologise to its customers on the inconveniences being caused to the extent that property worth a lot of money has been lost in some cases as a result of fires caused by power-cuts.
He accused the firm of lacking capacity to deliver and advised that ZESCO stops pointing its inefficiencies on the on-going rehabilitation project at the Kariba North Bank, KNB, power station.
Banda further states that the fact that ZESCO continues to export electricity to some member countries of the Southern African Development Community, SADC, may be one of the many reasons why Zambians are very reluctant to accept the electricity tariff increase of more than twenty percent being proposed by ZESCO.
“This, Your Excellency, is unacceptable and very irresponsible on the part of ZESCO and the PF administration. It is actually tantamount to negligence,” he adds.
The letter was delivered to State House at about 13:25 on May 1, 2013 and is also copied to the Minister of Energy, the Chairperson Energy Regulation Board and the Managing Director ZESCO among other people and organisations.
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