ZESCO has reiterated that long hours of load shedding in Zambia have ended stating that those still experiencing longer hours of no supply may be as a result of routine maintenance works or faults.
ZESCO public relations manager Hazel Zulu refuted claims by some Lusaka residents that some areas such as Chawama, Kuku and other high population density areas in Lusaka are still experiencing long hours of load shedding.
“Some areas are experiencing power challenges due to routine maintenance and we ensure that we communicated to our esteemed customers, at times even two days before. Members of the public need to appreciate that we are dealing with equipment which need to be maintained for it to perform to the optimum capacity, so maintenance cannot be ignored, it is a very important activity in the whole process,” she said.
She said ZESCO is able to give constant supply to its esteemed customers because the good water inflow in the various reservoirs this year. She noted however that, if there are some areas that are experiencing load shedding, it could be faults or vandalism that may have caused by some unscrupulous members the public. She told ZBT that last year, the company recorded about K5 million loss in terms vandalized property.
Some Lusaka’s residents contacted ZBT insisting that load shedding has persisted in some parts of Chawama and kuku area despite the assurance from ZESCO that Load shedding was going to end.
The Kuku and Chawama residents complained that despite the ZESCO assurance to the nation that load shedding would come to an end, the situation in their residential area has not improved. One of the resident of Kuku compound who runs a hair saloon said her business has gone down because she only works for three hours instead of more than the eight hours she previously used to put in.
“Nowadays, it is very difficult for me to conduct my business because of load shedding. Before load shedding I used to work for eight hours and at least I used to make good money but now my business has gone down. Sometimes am even failing to pay school fees for my daughter and also paying rentals. This is the worst experience have ever had in my saloon business,” she said.
She said ZESCO should end load shedding because it’s the only source of energy she can afford to power her business. “I do not have any other source of income apart from the saloon business”. But when asked she had reported the complaint to ZESCO, the resident could not confirm but stated that the call centre number does not go through.
ZESCO has since advised those still experiencing long hours of load shedding to be calling the call center on 363636 or use the online platforms to report faults, adding that ZESCO has a mobile application [Zesco app] which can be downloaded from google App Store and can also be used to report faults.
She said ZESCO has a text based [USSD] application targeting the people who do not have smartphones by dialing *3600# with the details. And Zulu has appealed to the general public to help curb vandalism and repost all suspects to the nearest police station.
“Let me take the opportunity appeal to the people who vandalize our installations to stop, the public should work and partner with us because people who vandalize come from these communities we live in”.
“People should be able to report these suspects who vandalize our installation to the police and ZESCO. When ZESCO equipment is vandalized, the impact is on the entire community, so people should look at the installations as their own by taking good care of them,” Zulu said.
