Africa-Press – Zambia. ZESCO, Zambia’s state-owned power company, has proposed a 37-percent tariff increment in a bid to attract more investments in power generation and distribution. The company has applied to the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) for the increase, citing the urgent need to invest in alternative energy sources to lessen Zambia’s dependence on hydro power.
During a recent stakeholder engagement meeting held at the Garden Court Hotel in Kitwe, ZESCO Head of Business Development Fitzpatrick Kapepe explained the company’s plan to pursue investments in alternative energy sources. ZESCO Chief Engineer Systems Operations Kennedy Bupe also disclosed that the utility is investing in other alternative energy sources like solar to meet national demand for electricity.
However, ZESCO’s efforts to provide reliable power have been met with challenges, as unknown people in the early hours of today cut and stole ZESCO cables in Livingstone’s Burton township, leaving over six hundred families in darkness. The incident occurred near a transformer, and it is suspected that the cables were stolen between 3 and 4 am. This is the second time that vandals have targeted the transformer in a year.
The Mwalibonena Ward Councillor, Juliet Hambizyi, has urged ZESCO to conduct massive sensitization programmes in communities so that residents can quickly report when such incidents happen. Ms. Hambizyi also called for more investments in the energy sector to address the country’s power challenges.
In response to the incidents of vandalism, ZESCO has been urging customers in the tourist capital to immediately report power cuts that happen between 10 pm and 5 am as that is the time most vandals take place. The utility has also called on residents to help protect its installations by reporting any suspicious activity.
Zambia’s power sector has been grappling with power cuts and load shedding due to a combination of factors, including a drought that has reduced the country’s hydro power output. ZESCO’s proposed tariff increment is seen as a way to attract more investments in alternative energy sources and reduce the country’s dependence on hydro power. However, the recent incidents of vandalism highlight the need for increased security and community involvement in protecting the country’s power infrastructure.
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