I recently bought some relish at the supermarket. But when I opened the package at the dinner table, I realized it was more food for my dog.
Due to the cost of living crisis, my already tight food budget is now even tighter. Buying perishable items in bulk at low prices is completely impossible because they are perishable.
The government has been encouraging households and businesses to switch to solar power, and has scrapped import taxes on solar equipment to make it more affordable to purchase.
But some people say solar panels don’t produce enough electricity when there’s little sunlight, and they can’t afford to install more panels. Most Zambians cannot afford solar panels at all.
Many families now use portable gas stoves to cook and heat water. But stores are also running low on gas due to high demand.
So, out of desperation, we buy charcoal to cook and heat water because it is cheaper, even though it has a negative impact on the environment and climate.
The power crisis has also affected boreholes dug by middle-class families on their properties.
The boreholes are powered by electric and solar pumps, so houses now lack a constant supply of water, making it impossible to even flush a toilet.
Some schools are urging children to drink five liters of water every day to reduce the sanitation crisis and the likelihood of outbreaks of water-borne diseases such as cholera, which hit the country early in the year..
Many families are now filling buckets or bathtubs with water. Because you want the water to last until the lights come back on and you can flush the toilet.
All of this has left Zambians frustrated and angry. They point out that the blackout highlights the failure of successive governments to plan for the future promised by President Hichilema’s administration.
Mr Maumbi said Zesco had invested in more energy sources, including solar power plants, reducing its dependence on hydropower to about 60%.
But Zambia’s focus isn’t just on green energy – coal is also in the mix.
Energy regulators in July approved plans to build only the country’s second coal-fired power plant.
Although it emits the most greenhouse gases when burned with the dirtiest fossil fuels, the government believes that it has no choice but to pursue it boldly to prevent a similar crisis in the future.
