State seeks 300 megawatts from ESKOM

GOVERNMENT is still engaging ESKOM of South Africa for importation of 300 megawatt of power at the cost of $21 million to cushion and reduce on load shedding hours, Minister Information and Broadcasting Services Dora Siliya has said.

Ms Siliya said it was important that power be imported as soon as possible because the demand was high and the levels of water had continued to reduce.

She said Government was engaging Eskom so that power was imported quickly to prevent the possibility of a total power blackout.

Speaking during a media briefing yesterday Ms Siliya said the Government wanted the process to be accelerated because the month of October was a critical one when it came to food and water.

She said people need to conserve water and power to sustain the supply at household level as well.

Meanwhile, Disaster Management and Mitigation Unity (DMMU) National Coordinator Chanda Kabwe announced that the number of people to receive relief food from Government was going to increase from 1.7 million to 2.3 million in the 58 districts.

And the DMMU has refuted reports that five people had died of hunger in Shang’ombo. Mr Kabwe challenged the people who made the claim to go and show them where the deaths happened.

He said Government had come up with a recovery action plan which was outlined the interventions that the State sort to put across to the affected areas.

Mr Kabwe said the government was also supporting the livestock sector with stock feed for the animals because the common grazing areas had dried out.

He said Government was delivering mealie meal to the communities that were affected in southern, Western, Central, Lusaka, Eastern and part of Luapula Province.