Zambia: Our Collective Wisdom, Resources Should Benefit Africans -Zesco Board Chairman

ZESCO Limited Board Chairman, Vickson Ncube has urged the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) Executive Committee to utilise the vast natural resources the continent is endowed with to better the lives of Africans.

Speaking on Thursday, 4 April 2024 at the official opening of the 56th Executive Committee Meeting of the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) held at Ciêla Resort and Spa in Lusaka, Mr. Ncube observed that despite enjoying vast swaths of natural resources, the continent continues to grapple with social-economic challenges.

“Our forefathers; the founders of our countries had this great vision of integrated Africa where our collective wisdom and resources are working for the benefit of our continent. But allow me to mourn a bit because we have not realised that vision. Our economies are still defined by weathers and climate and everything else. We mourn about too much rain and about drought. We mourn about the heat and the cold,” he noted.

The Board Chairman observed that Africa had distinguished Engineers, Accountants, and Economists who should be at the centre of galvanising solutions to the challenges facing the continent.

“This meeting represents a greater agenda as defined by the African Union. The Africa we want is integrated, peaceful, and prosperous driven by its own citizens representing a dynamic force in the international agenda. We need solutions to our loadshedding problems; We need solutions to problems facing Africans. SADC as an organization becomes a very important building block towards the achievement of an integrated Africa,” Mr. Ncube said.

Meanwhile Mr. Ncube expressed happiness with the continued integration of Power Pools across the continent.

“May I recognise the partnership that is developing not only in the SAPP but also Zambia working with East Africa Power Pool through the Zambia-Tanzania-Kenya interconnection pool. I am praying that one day every African country will have an interconnector so that at a short notice we are able to evacuate power from one net surplus country to net deficits to keep our economies running.”

He added that it was the obligation of Africans to create a continent that is self confident in its identity, heritage, culture, values, and an influential partner in the global stage making its contribution to peace, and progress.

Currently, the SAPP comprises 17 power utilities from 12 Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries with the Republic of Zambia as the outgoing Chair of the organ.

ZESCO partnered with Lunsemfwa Hydro Power Company, Ndola Energy Limited, and the Copperbelt Energy Corporation Plc as co-hosting utilities, while the Zambia National Commercial Bank, ABSA Bank Plc, GreenCo, NR Electric Co. Ltd, and Maamba Collieries Limited are on board as meeting sponsors.

The Executive Committee is the second organ of the regional power market and is constituted of chief executive officers of the SAPP member power utilities.

The Committee meets bi-annually to deliberate strategic matters relating to the operations of the regional body. ZESCO Limited Managing Director, Eng. Victor Benjamin Mapani is former chairperson of the EXCO, a role he assumed in 2022.

Source: Zesco Limited