ZNS, ZESCO CONFER ON UNINTERRUPTED POWER SUPPLY TO STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE
ZNS, ZESCO CONFER ON UNINTERRUPTED POWER SUPPLY TO STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE
In a bid to guarantee uninterrupted production of mealie meal at all ZNS Milling Plants and Its Allied Millers, the Zambia National Service (ZNS) Commander Lieutenant General Maliti Solochi, held an emergence meeting today with the Managing Director of ZESCO, Engineer Victor Mapani.
The thrust of the discussion centered on restoration of uninterrupted power supply following a reduction in mealie meal production output after the implementation of the ongoing eight-hour load shedding programme by the Electricity Company.
During the meeting, the ZNS Commander further appealed for special consideration for ZNS Production Units engaged in winter production.
Additionally, the ZNS-run Charles J Nyirenda Hospital in Makeni was highlighted as another important Unit needing consistent access to electricity to ensure emergency medical services remained uncompromised.
The engagement was also triggered by the recent directive by the Republican President and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Force, Mr Hakainde Hichilema to Defence Wings to leverage irrigation equipment at their disposal to play a critical role in national drought mitigation efforts.
Lt Gen Solochi underscored the importance of closer collaboration between ZNS and ZESCO to collectively assist the Government in averting possible constrained availability of the staple and other critical food crops.
He emphasized that uninterrupted power supply is not only crucial to sustenance of production but also to ensure availability of emergency medical services.
And the ZESCO Managing Director assured ZNS of his company’s commitment to immediately give due attention to the request of providing consistent power to milling plants.
The MD urged the ZNS Commander to provide a list of Units and milling plants requiring preferential power supply.
He also encouraged the Service to swiftly bring to his Office’s attention any power interruptions experienced by concerned Units to facilitate expedited implementation of necessary remedial measures.
The outcome of the meeting signals a collaborative effort between the Zambia National Service and ZESCO to mitigate the impact of load shedding on critical sectors essential for national resilience and welfare.
As both entities work towards serving the nation better, the focus remains on safeguarding national food security, which conversely is national security, as well as the preservation of human life.
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