KELVIN CHONGO, Lusaka
PRESIDENT Lungu says Government will contribute towards the construction of the National House of Prayer Tabernacle to be built at a cost of US$10 million.
And President Lungu says it is important for Zambians to understand that Zesco is importing 300 megawatts (MW) from South Africa’s Eskom.
President Lungu said Government has to sit down and decide how much it will contribute to this cause.
“We will sit down as Government and decide.  We will contribute but I don’t know how much. It is also important for you the media to help people understand where the money for the Cathedral is coming from,” he said.
The Head of State said there is no need to start politicising that essential element of the Government, which is the National House of Prayer Tabernacle.
He said this on his return from Namibia, where he attended the African Union (AU) Committee of 10 (C-10) consultative summit.
And at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday, National House of Prayer Tabernacle committee chairperson Joshua Banda said the committee has projected to raise US$10 to complete the 7,500 seater National House of Prayer.
“The fundraising committee will roll out a nation-wide strategy for raising of funds. The committee will on January 23, 2015 hold its ever fundraising dinner and President Lungu will be our guest of honour,’’ Bishop Banda said.
President Lungu said that the 300 megawatts from South Africa’s Eskom must be understood by the people [as regards to] where it is coming from.
“We should not politicise the challenges Zambia is encountering in the energy sector.  This electricity is coming at a cost and when Zesco and ERB revise tariffs, people should not be saying that it is Edgar Lungu. It’s inevitable but this will happen and I am not trying to politic,” he said.
And according to information posted on Engineering News yesterday, state-owned Eskom confirmed that it has agreements in place with Zimbabwe’s Zesa and Zambian’s Zesco Limited to supply power during off-peak periods, ESTER MSETEKA reports.
“While the power system is stable, we have been supplying both neighbouring countries under the standard agreements at peak and under the new bilateral agreement during off-peak hours and during peak when we have a surplus,” Eskom said in a statement.
The company has already an existing agreement to supply up to 50 MW of power to Zambia.
On Thursday, Minister of Energy and Water Development Dora Siliya expressed Zambia’s desire to import 300 MW of power from SA.