President’s Edgar Chagwa Lungu Parley speech has restored confidence
ON Friday, the 11th September, 2020, I was invited to the ZNBC Studio TV1 to be part of the panel that would discuss what we thought the President was going to deliver to Parliament from different sectors. We were not privy to the Presidential speech at all. I was tasked to comment on the energy sector. I articulated my opinion and expected that the President was going to talk about load shedding and how it has negatively affected the economy.
In addition, the President was not going to miss the opportunity to highlight how he was ending the load shedding through the development of the 750MW Kafue Lower Gauge Power Plant which is partially being commissioned this year and the remaining part by May next year. In other words, I expected His Excellence to make his speech which is informed, guided and mentored by the 7th National Development Plan framework which has been the road map for national development.
I stayed on in the chilly studio from 09:00 hours up to 13:00 hours thanks to my hosts who kept us comfortable and engaged throughout until the President has finished delivering his speech built around the theme, DEDICATION, RESILIENCE AND INNOVATION as a guiding anthem in the new normal. It has been very easy to give up in this COVID-19 laded era. At times, one just feels like just giving up. Therefore, we were looking to a Presidential Speech which would deliver certainty and restore hope. In addition, innovation has been the means of survival in this era and will continue to undergird our approaches going forward.
According to literature, the word “resilience” appears to have originated in the 15th century from a Latin world “resili” whose connotation is to “spring back” or to “rebound” Resilience can be defined as the power or the ability to return to the original form or position after being bent, compressed, stretched or seriously challenged by either internal or external forces or both. It also refers to the ability to readily recover from depression or adversity. In other words, resilience is buoyancy-the ability to float again after being repeatedly submerged in deep water. What the President said during the address to Parliament is that we will bounce back as a country. Resilience is therefore, one of the greatest assets to possess either as an individual or as an organisation. Without resilience, many of us including myself could have died a long time ago. My friend, if you think you have gone through challenges, wait until you hear other people’s challenges. Mr. Horatio Spafford (1828-1888), a devout Christian and very wealthy Chicago businessman lost almost all his wealth in a day shortly after the death of his son.
Thereafter, he scheduled a boat cruise to take his wife and daughters to Europe so that they can rest and recover from the shock while he remained behind to attend to some last minute business. Several days later, he received a notice that the ship carrying his family encountered a collision. All his daughters drowned. Only his wife survived. While aboard a ship to go and join his grieving wife, he penned the first lyrics of what has become one of the most famous hymns in main stream traditional and charismatic churches, “when sorrow like sea billows roll; it is well, it is well with my soul.”
Back to the Presidential Speech, I of the view that he was on firm ground and his speech was informed by facts on the ground. We have a power deficit of about 810MW. The 750MW Kafue Gorge Lower Power which is also complete will initially give us 300MW this year and later on in the first quarter of 2021, it will give us 450MW. In addition, we have a number of plethora of solar power plants here and that at different developmental stages. Put together, we expect to obliterate the 810 MW deficit. It must also be noted that should we receive above average rainfall, our reservoirs will also have improved water which will lead to producing a bit more electricity over and above what we are expecting from the expansion of the generation.
When you analyse critically, Government has done a commendable job in terms of expanding the generation capacity, launching other forms of energy, setting up off grid solar systems, mini hydro power. Some of the legal projects include the 750MW Kafue Lower Gorge, 2,000MW Batoka Gorge, 300MW Maamba Coal Power Plant, 100MW of Solar and another 600MW of Solar which just got started. There have also been some upgrades here and there. In addition, government has given direction regarding the future of Zambia’s energy requirements 50 years from now. This is what gives me confidence that the Government put Zambia on the correct energy sector trajectory. The country has a new a National Energy Policy of 2019 and two new laws in the Energy Sector-The Electricity Act of 2019 and the Energy Regulation Act of 2019 which came into force in February, 2020.
Therefore, President Lungu’s assurance regarding load shedding coming to an end must be taken seriously as it is informed by facts which are on the ground. The 7th National Development Plan Development Outcome 4 promises Improved Energy Production and Distribution for Sustainable Development. Strategy one under this Development Outcome is to enhance generation, transmission and distribution of electricity while Strategy 3 focusses on renewable and alternative energy and Strategy 4 is focusing on improving electricity access to rural and peri-urban areas. His speech was rooted in the 7th National Development Plan