By EMILY KUWEMA
IT is mid afternoon and the blazing sun shines relentlessly on the villagers of Mufubushi as they make their way to the tents erected for the commissioning of Intensification Grid Project by Rural Electrification Authority (REA).
Jubilation accompanied with a selection of dance moves characterized the venue as both contemporary and traditional music is played while the locals celebrate the coming of electricity in the area.
Located about 40 kilometers away from Mpika District town is Mufubushi area comprising 14 villages with hardly any electrified facility.
But with the commissioning of the grid project by REA under the Electricity Services Access Project (ESAP), the area of Mufubushi will see 110 connections.
“Finally, I will be able to write and study at night because our house now has electricity just like those in urban areas,” grade eight pupil and resident of Mufubushi only identified as Memory said.
Memory could not hide her excitement while she speaks to this reporter wearing a shy smile on her face. With a shaky voice, the 17 year old said that the power connection will improve her performance at School hence, get good grades because she can now study at her convenience.
REA Board Chairperson Bruce Jaani said with the support from the World Bank, the authority implemented the ESAP project with an objective, among others, to increase access to electricity through various mechanisms including provision of connection fee subsidy.
Mr Jaani said through this project, REA has so far connected 55,627 low-income households and medium to small scale enterprises.
“I must indicate here that the Government, through the board, has a clear vision for the electrification of rural areas such as Mufubushi, which is to continue to invest in the rural electrification programmes that will provide clean, reliable and affordable electricity in an effort to alleviate poverty and ensure that all Zambians enjoy social economic development,” He said.
The board chairperson indicated that the Government wants to make sure that all Zambians, regardless of where they live, have a good quality of life.
Over the years, REA has been electrifying rural communities with a view to increase access to electricity in Zambia, using the grid extension and grid intensification.
With this technology, REA has been pursuing its mandate as directed by the New Dawn Government in order to attain universal access to electricity by 2030.
Mr Jaani disclosed that out of the targeted 1217 rural growth centres, only about 516 rural growth centres have been completed so far, which has translated into 77,299 service connections.
He said this has directly benefited 463,794 people in various rural communities in Zambia who have been electrified and based on the Zambia Statistical Agency Report of 2018; these numbers translate to only 8.1per cent access to electricity in rural areas.
It has been determined that part of the reason for rural communities’ low accessibility has been attributed to low income levels and therefore failure to afford the high connection fees.
Fundamentally, this defeats the essence of increasing rural access to electricity to the aspired goal of attaining universal access by 2030 as espoused in the 8th National Development Plan and vision 2030.
REA board therefore encouraged the Mufubushi community to guard the infrastructure jealously so as to get maximum socio-economic benefits from it and engage in productive uses of electricity in order to improve levels of income and add to the growth of the national economy.
“I am sure that very soon, this community will begin to see the real value of having electricity. I also want to thank all the stakeholders here in Mpika including the local administration, the traditional leadership, as well as the community here in Mufubushi for their dedicated efforts and support for the project,” Mr Jaani said.
Meanwhile, Mpika District Commissioner David Siame said the connectivity will enable health centers to function efficiently as health workers will be able provide health services at night as the area had suffered electricity deficits for a long time.
Mr Siame commended the Zambian Government and REA for bringing electricity in the area as people will have the opportunity to set up businesses which will in turn improve the local’s lives.
Speaking at the same event, Nachikufu Ward Councilor whose ward is a beneficiary of the connectivity; Roman Chileshe said the connection will promote literacy as School going children will be able to conduct computer studies just like their urban counterparts.
In the same vein, REA chief executive officer Engineer Linus Chanda embarked on a one week tour of duty with his entourage where he signed 11 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) under the Priority Rural Electrification projects (PREPs).
While in Luapula Province, Engineer Chanda signed four MoUs with Nchelenge, Milenge, Chiengi and Chipili Districts which will realize the electrification of 30 per cent households in each district.
While on tour, the team proceeded to signed four MOUs with Luwingu, Lupososhi, Lunte and Mporokoso councils in Northern Province and three more MoUs in Muchinga Province with Chinsali, Mafinga and Mfuwe Town Councils.
He said the MoUs signed are part of the Priority Rural Electrification Project (PREPs) where 40 MoUs are expected to be signed in all the 10 Provinces of the country with the purpose of bringing development in the districts.
Mr Chanda said the projects are driven by constituencies representing Districts that each channeled K1 million towards the electrification of the areas using Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
“We have targeted 40 constituencies this year, and therefore forty 40 MoUs with different local authorities across the country. Since electricity is a catalyst to development, the Government identified the need to significantly increase financing for rural electrification, and for the first time in the history, REA received the highest allocation in 2023, amounting to k743 million,” He said.
He said with the determination by the constituencies to grow significantly, electricity was critical in driving the agenda of converting them to industrial and agriculture hubs of not only their Provinces but the country at large.
The chief executive officer further called on other local authorities that did not yet sign up, to consider these partnerships with REA as a priority as this had the potential to enable them to change most rural areas in their jurisdiction.
