GRZ PLANS TO UN-BUNDLE ZESCO

By BARNABAS ZULU

HARRY Kalaba, has raised alarm over what he describes as the government’s opaque plan to unbundle ZESCO and sell the utility company to a United Kingdom-based firm.
Mr Kalaba has urged the government to come out in the open and explain the rationale behind the decision to sell Zambia’s power utility company, as it raises significant concerns about the future of the country’s energy sector.

Addressing journalists at the CF secretariat yesterday, Mr Kalaba said government was allegedly in the process of breaking up ZESCO, the national electricity provider, with the intention of selling it to a UK-based company.
He has demanded transparency from the government, urging them to clarify the situation to the public.
“Zambia is currently experiencing severe power shortages, with many parts of the country enduring up to 22 hours of load shedding every day. Yesterday, at my home, the power was on for only 20 minutes before it went off again. This is a reality that many Zambians are facing daily, and it is unacceptable,” Mr Kalaba said.
He emphasised that the ongoing power crisis highlighted the urgent need for clarity from the government on the matter.
Mr Kalaba also questioned the government’s decision to unbundle and privatise Zesco, expressing concern over the involvement of a foreign entity in the sale.
He asked why the government was taking such drastic measures and called for a more transparent explanation of the process, particularly the involvement of a UK-based firm.
Mr Kalaba also lashed out at what he perceives as an increase in corruption under the current administration, accusing President Hakainde Hichilema and his administration of presiding over rampant corruption.
Mr Kalaba claimed that the corruption levels under the UPND-led government were the worst he has ever witnessed, far surpassing anything that occurred during the previous Patriotic Front administration.
Mr Kalaba also expressed frustration over the government’s treatment of businesses, particularly those owned by individuals perceived to be opposition supporters.
He claimed that the UPND government had been targeting and suffocating businesses that are suspected of having political ties to the opposition.
“The government is clamping down on businesses that it views as opposition sympathisers, which is harming the economy and suffocating entrepreneurial growth,” Mr Kalaba said.
He vowed that, should Citizens First come to power, there would be a clear policy of non-discrimination in the business sector.
“Under our leadership, no businessperson or company will be discriminated against based on political party affiliation or tribal lines,” Mr Kalaba promised.