THE Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) is concerned about Zesco’s inconsistency in the management of the load-shedding schedule. And over 20 restaurants at Kafue market in Kafue have closed due to an inconsistent load-shedding schedule in the area. ZACA executive secretary Juba Sakala, in a statement availed to the Sunday Mail yesterday, said it is sad that the load-shedding management is not uniform in most parts of the country. “We know that the issue of loadshedding is a countrywide problem, but let Zesco be consistent and sincere when applying hours of load management. The issue should be applied equally as opposed to a situation where it is more than six hours,” he said.

Mr Sakala said Zesco should not be selective in applying hours of load-shedding in as much as the country sympathises with the power utility. He said Zesco should come out in the open and publish schedules of load-shedding in public media. “What Zesco is facing is a climate problem and every Zambian is aware of the challenges.

We feel the utility firm should publish the hours of load-shedding in specific areas,” Mr Sakala said. He said consistency in the hours of load-shedding management will enable business entities and households to look for other alternative sources of energy. Most business entities have been caught napping because they have failed to plan. But Zesco says it has to maintain the daily load-shedding schedule at eight hours to sustain the current low water levels at Kariba Dam up to December this year.

In Kafue, some restaurant owners have since requested Zesco to put up a reliable load-shedding schedule which will enable them to adjust the timings for their business. Speaking in separate interviews, Peggy Hachipuka, a restaurant owner at the market, complained that the unreliable load-shedding schedule is adversely affecting their business. “Not long ago, we knew of the rotating schedule of loadshedding but now it has become so unreliable… the eight hours schedules can now be 10 hours. This is adversely affecting our business,” she said. Mrs Hachipuka said doing business has become expensive because she cannot stock up on food anymore for fear of unreliable electricity. Another restaurant owner, Betty Luhila, said Kafue has in the recent past seen a remarkable boom in various business ventures, among them eating places.

Mrs Luhila said a lot of business ventures have been affected. “Much as we understand the electricity rationing countrywide and everyone is struggling to do their businesses, we need a reliable schedule so that we plan,” she said. Mrs Luhila said the number of restaurants that have closed keeps increasing every day. “Most of the people operating will not come out in open to say they have closed, you will just see them no more,” Mrs Luhila said. And another trader at the market, Joshua Lwiimba, said he fears losing customers because of unreliable operating hours as a result of load-shedding