Chiengi Constituency Member of Parliament Dr Katele Kalumba says ZESCO made a mistake for ignoring his advice not to install the metre for electricity exported to Congo DR within Chiengi district and far away from the border point between Zambia and its neighbouring country.
Dr Kalumba said it is unfortunate that Chiengi residents cannot tap and use electricity that passes over Lupiya village to Mpweto border because the power is already paid for by the Congolese authorities.
The MP said when ZESCO was making electricity installations to take power into Congo, he had advised the electricity company to install the switch and metering system right at the border post so that the electricity infrastructure that lies within Zambia could benefit people living along the power lines before supplying Congo.
However, Dr Kalumba said ZESCO overlooked that advice and installed the metre just within the administrative centre of Chiengi district.
He lamented that due to that oversight now the people living along the power lines within Chiengi district have been denied the opportunity to benefit from the electricity generated within their own country.
The same problem has even made it difficult for immigration and Zambia Revenue Authority officers to tap electricity for their offices and homes.
Several local residents and government workers accosted ZANIS in Chiengi to complain over the same matter.
They said that Mpweto border area on the Congolese side is seeing rapid development and every household including thatched hats are electrified while on the Zambian side people cannot even use the very electricity generated from Zambia.
The MP and some government workers are demanding that ZESCO should consider moving its switch and metre for Congo to the border post so that every other electricity infrastructure that falls within Chiengi on the Zambian side starts benefiting the local people.
ZANIS
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