PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema has revealed that he has engaged with Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane to reorganise public money and put more of it in the energy sector.
Dr Musokotwane is scheduled to present the 2026 national budget to the National Assembly later this Friday, September 26, 2025.
President Hichilema said cabinet office must be able to facilitate such directives without fail and it should not stand in the way.
The Head of State disclosed this at State House yesterday as he swore in four diplomats and two cabinet office officials.
“After my meeting, Vice President [Mutale Nalumango], I spent a bit of time with the Finance Minister to reorganise our public money, to put more money in energy. That’s what we are supposed to do,” shared President Hichilema.
The Head of State called on the new cabinet to prioritise energy issues, emphasising that even what seems like a small problem such as a barbershop losing power, it has a significant impact on citizens’ livelihoods.
He told the officials that their salaries and positions were earned because of the public’s needs, and they must not let bureaucracy stand in the way of solving these problems.
President Hichilema added that cabinet office was the engine of delivery across the country and work needed to continue being done.
The two cabinet officials sworn in yesterday are Eugene Moonga, director in charge of policy implementation, monitoring and evaluation, Policy Analysis and Coordination Division at Cabinet Office, and Muyambango Nkwemu who will be working as a public policy specialist, Policy Analysis Division and Coordination at Cabinet Office.
The four diplomats include Professor Nkombo Muuka, sworn in as Zambia’s Ambassador to United Arab Emirates (UAE), Albert Muchanga who will now represent Zambia in Ethiopia, Grace Mutembo sworn in as Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa and Abidon Mawere sworn in as Zambia’s Ambassador to Russia.
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ENERGY minister Makozo Chikote has refuted claims that Zesco is either selling power to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) or engaging in third party brokers in its import arrangements, calling such claims misleading and politically charged.
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Chikote clarified that while electricity is flowing through Zesco’s transmission lines to other countries, the company is not the source of that power.
Appearing on Diamond TV, Sunday, Chikote said independent power firms are moving electricity through the infrastructure as Zesco simply facilitates that movement and charges a service fee.
“These services, often referred to as wheeling, involve transporting power generated elsewhere by private companies who hold valid licenses to export. The firms currently using Zesco’s network for such exports include Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC), Enterprise Power, Kanona, and GreenCo Services,” revealed Chikote.
Chikote argued that these businesses are operating within legal and regulatory frameworks, and warned against attempts to paint them as exploitative or part of a corrupt system.
“They are not intermediaries selling power to Zesco. They operate independently and contribute to the broader regional power market,” he said.
The minister also addressed speculation that Zesco is buying electricity through middlemen inflated rates, stressing that the national utility deals directly with regional suppliers, such as Eskom (South Africa), EDM (Mozambique), ZESA (Zimbabwe), and through the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).
On the issue of ongoing power exports, he acknowledged that Zambia had been sending electricity to neighbouring countries earlier in the year.
However, he noted that export volumes have been drastically reduced in response to the domestic power shortage.
According to Chikote, Zesco cut back exports from a high of 520 megawatts in March 2024 to around 150 megawatts currently.
He emphasised that many of these export contracts were signed years before the current crisis began, and in some cases, are linked to financing agreements or power generation projects inherited from the previous administration.
“These contracts were not created overnight, many are tied to loans Zesco acquired or to infrastructure projects that benefit Zambia in the long run,” he explained.
“Namibia, which was previously receiving 180 megawatts, is now getting just 50. Similarly, Zimbabwe and Botswana have seen their allocations reduced to below 50 megawatts each.”
Chikote defended the decision to maintain reduced exports, saying that the revenue generated is helping to fund emergency imports needed to stabilise the grid.
He also underlined Zambia’s obligations under the Southern African Power Pool, noting that sudden withdrawal from regional power-sharing agreements would isolate the country and cut it off from critical import routes.
“If we walk away from these agreements, we lose access to power when we need it most. This is a regional system, and cooperation is essential,” he added.
Chikote further assured the nation that government has put in place strategic measures to improve electricity supply and expressed optimism that as new initiatives take effect, Zambians will begin to see an easing of the power crisis.
By Sharon Zulu
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The Labour Commissioner has launched an investigation into Cochrane Trucking Company in Lusaka’s 10 Miles area following a series of complaints from truck drivers alleging underpayment, intimidation and unfair labour practices.
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Yesterday, the Commissioner Givens Muntengwa in the company of inspectors from the Ministry’s statutory bodies and departments, inspected the transport firm.
Muntengwa said preliminary findings revealed that some drivers were reportedly being paid below the statutory minimum wage, while some drivers were allegedly charged for fuel shortages even when the suspected pilferage was beyond their control.
Others were abruptly removed from trucks and left idle without any formal disciplinary hearing.
“This practice of dropping drivers is illegal. Disciplinary procedures must be clear and known. Employers must display rules and grievance procedures where workers can see them,” he said.
Meanwhile, Cochrane Trucking Company Human Resource Manager, Matthews Mulenga, refuted the complaints, stating that the company has not unlawfully laid off any driver but has subjected some to disciplinary action in line with the company’s code of conduct after alleged cases of fuel theft.
“No driver has been dismissed outside procedure. Those on discipline are being dealt with according to the company’s code of conduct after allegations of fuel theft,” disclosed Mulenga.
Meanwhile, the commissioner directed Cochrane Trucking to surrender employment contracts, payrolls and payslips for verification and warned the company that intimidation only damages their reputation.
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