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.
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.
“At present, the power station’s generating capacity has been reduced from its installed 1 080MegaWatts (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 January 4 until January 20, 2023 has exacerbated the situation. Some Zambians have taken to social media to express their unhappiness. — BBC
