LUSAKA, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on Tuesday urged all companies involved in electricity projects to accelerate their work in order to help resolve the country's ongoing power crisis.
Speaking at the official opening of the Southern Province Investment and Trade Exposition in the southern city of Livingstone, Hichilema said that Zambia had failed to diversify its electricity generation over the past 50 years.
He said that the drought during the 2023/2024 rainy season underscored the urgent need to develop alternative energy sources. The president encouraged companies facing challenges to approach the government for support, saying that authorities are ready to help expedite the completion of critical energy infrastructure and end the persistent power cuts.
His remarks came as Zesco Limited, the country's power utility, announced that most customers would now receive only four hours of electricity per day on a rotational basis.
In a statement, Zesco cited "extreme challenges" in electricity generation and distribution, attributing the crisis to transmission bottlenecks affecting cross-border power flow, regional power system disturbances, and critically low water levels at all major hydropower stations.
Zambia has been grappling with a severe power deficit caused by the prolonged drought during the 2023/2024 rainy season. About 80 percent of the country's electricity supply comes from hydropower sources. ■
