Quiet, PF tells Kabimba
By AARON CHIYANZO ZESCO power has proved to be so expensive and now First Quantum Minerals (FQM) wants to import cheaper power from neighbouring countries.
ZESCO spokesperson, Henry Kapata confirmed that the mining giant opted to import power as it claims ZESCO tariffs were too high and would affect their profitability.
And Minister of Energy David Mabumba also told the Daily Nation that Zambia had not yet established cost reflective tariffs but that Government was working
modalities to ensure they were in place.
FQM president Clive Newall said that the mining giant had agreed to a tariff increase of about US$0.09 per kilowatt hour, provided that Kansanshi and Sentinel could each import a portion of their total power requirements from alternative suppliers.
Mr Kapata however emphasised that ZESCO had enough power to supply both FQM’s Kansanshi and Kalumbila mines, and still remain with a surplus.
He disclosed that FQM claimed that it would incur huge losses if it operationalised entirely on ZESCO power, hence insisting on importing power from other nearby WYNTER Kabimba should be the last person to talk about the Patriotic Front (PF) because he knows very little about the party’s internal processes, PF media director Sunday Chanda has charged.
Mr Chanda said the Rainbow Party secretary-general was not a PF member hence understood very little about its internal policies and decisions.
Yesterday, Mr Kabimba claimed the PF was mobilising against Finance Minister Felix Mutati because the MMD leader had refused to channel public funds to the ruling party.