ZAMBIA’s power utility – Zesco Ltd – has announced crippling 12-hour electricity blackouts until further notice.
Power rationing officially started on Tuesday with some areas being hit by up to eight hours of power cuts, but the extended 12-hour blackouts take immediate effect.
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A statement from Zesco’s corporate affairs department says the measure is needed because of a lack of water in the Kariba dam, which is used for hydropower.
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“At present, the power station’s generating capacity has been reduced from its installed 1080MegaWatts (MW) to below 400MW,” the statement reads.
It adds that the removal of a 150MW generator at Maamba Collieries Limited Power Plant for routine annual maintenance from 4 January until 20 January 2023 has exacerbated the situation.
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Some Zambians have taken to social media to express their unhappiness.
Zambia and neighbouring Zimbabwe, which has also been experiencing long blackouts, share the Kariba dam for hydroelectricity generation.
