‘Load shedding schedule must be programmed for businesses to survive’

By ROGERS KALERO

Businesses need a comprehensive schedule for them to plan effectively for the load shedding or else they will be hurt by the six-hour long load-shedding every day, says Kitwe District Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Emmanuel Mambiko.

Mr Mbambiko said Zesco Limited must come up with a comprehensive load shedding schedule to enable players in various sectors of the economy to plan for their operations and ensure that production was not adversely affected

He said in an interview in Kitwe at the weekend that there was need for an all-encompassing load management to help businesses plan that would help to reduce effects of load-shedding on the economy

“We need a comprehensive schedule for us to plan effectively for the inevitable, Zesco should come up with such a schedule to save the industry from collapsing. Peak times like morning time when households were not using much power could be used to power industries.

“The planned six-hour a day load shedding would hurt industries if the schedule was not well planned hence the need for a more comprehensive schedule,” Mr Mbambiko said

Mr Mbambiko said businesses have no option, but to change shifts to enable them to continue with their operations and maintaining production, adding that he did not rule out night shifts.

“My appeal to Zesco Limited is not to temper with security lighting sothat businesses find it easy to operate during night time. We hope that Zesco Limited will not be switching security lights during the period of load shedding so that those working during night time do not feel insecure during night shifts,” he said.

The new dawn administration of President Hakainde Hichilema through Energy Minister Peter Kapala announced last month in Parliament that Zesco will commence load shedding on December 15, 2022 due to the low water levels in the Kariba dam.

Mr Kapala told Parliament that water levels in Kariba dam have been reducing on account of low inflows from the Zambezi River and over utilization of water to sustain power generation has also worsened the situation.

The load management will last four months and is aimed at rationing water in the dam to avoid a complete shutdown.