Lusaka, Zambia — As Zambia deals with its worst drought in 20 years, businesses and households are going for days without electricity. Experts say the severe energy crisis could worsen Zambia 's already fragile economy and lead to massive job losses.
On an average day, millions of people across the country are enduring up to 21 hours of power cuts, locally known as load shedding.
Taonga Zulu, a Lusaka resident who runs a family farm business, told VOA that her livelihood has been hurt by the power cuts.
"It has been nearly impossible to manage the chicken run properly as we rely on electricity for various aspects of their care," she said. "The lack of power has also prevented us from pumping water, which means our farm is slowly turning into a desert."
The Zambia Association of Manufacturers is a business association representing
the interests of the country's factories. Association president Ashu Sagar said his members have not been spared by the energy crisis. He said big companies are struggling with the cost of running alternative diesel-powered generators, while smaller companies have no energy source at all.
Sagar added that some of the association's members have failed to meet contractual obligations with buyers due to the drought-induced energy crisis.
"So, the impact on the manufacturing sector is quite big in that small companies that probably could have no capacity to invest in alternative energy solutions like diesel generators have had to curtail their manufacturing operations," he said.
Zambia's only public power utility company, the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation, or ZESCO, said Monday that it does not have enough power to supply all hospitals.
Media reports say some hospitals are turning patients away due to lack of electricity and water.
ZESCO spokesperson Matongo Maumbi said the country's heavy reliance on hydropower generation has led to a national shortfall of almost 1,300 megawatts as the various water sources are drying up.
Economist Emmanuel Zulu says the energy crisis is dragging down the economy and pushing up unemployment.
"There is a slump in output and productivity in the economy and this is going to affect our GDP as well as employment because most people will be left with nothing to do," he said.
Worsened by climate change and the El Nino weather pattern, the energy crisis threatens national food security, water and energy supply, Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema said earlier this year.
In his state of the nation address to parliament Friday, Hichilema said his government is working around the clock to address the energy crisis.
"Government is implementing a number of interventions in a bid to enhance resilience and reduce our dependence on hydroelectric power," he said. "We are promoting alternative sources of energy."
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Energy expert Johnstone Chikwanda is optimistic that new measures, like the removal of bureaucratic hurdles that discouraged private companies from investing in energy production, will yield results in the near future.
"Looking at the extent of the measures which are currently being implemented and the strong praxis of leadership driving the energy sector reforms, I am convinced that this crisis is being invested better than how we previously handled the previous crisis," he said.
According to the United Nations, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi are among the countries in Southern Africa most affected by the regional drought that began early this year.
