LUSAKA — ZESCO has announced an eight-hour daily load-shedding regime effective from 18:00 tonight, citing critically low water levels at Kariba North Bank Power Station and delayed maintenance at Maamba Collieries.
Company spokesperson Matongo Maumbi said the utility would publish zone-specific schedules on its mobile app and social media channels. Hospitals, water utilities and airports are exempt, but industrial users on the Copperbelt have been asked to shift production to off-peak hours.
The Bank of Zambia warned that extended power cuts could dampen quarterly GDP growth, particularly in mining and food processing. Konkola Copper Mines said it was activating backup generators at a cost of $120,000 per day.
Traders at Lusaka’s COMESA Market expressed frustration as refrigeration units failed during the afternoon outage. “We lost an entire crate of tomatoes,” said merchant Agnes Lungu. ZESCO pledged to restore full supply once seasonal rains replenish Kariba, expected in November.
Energy Minister Peter Kapala convened an emergency meeting with independent power producers to explore emergency imports from the Southern African Power Pool. Consumers have been urged to switch off non-essential appliances and report illegal connections that strain the grid.
