HERE is a promise from one of the recognised presidential aspirants ahead of the 2026 elections: “My fellow Zambians, we cannot build this economy in the dark. We will end this tragic energy crisis. This should not be happening 61 years after independence. We will stabilise our national grid by upgrading existing hydro plants, investing in solar, and restoring idle generation capacity. We will encourage private sector participation to quickly bring more megawatts online. In the long term, our goal is to build a base-load energy system from diversified sources, including hydro, natural gas, clean coal, and renewables. This will be a foundation of reliable power that never, ever switches off. We will use modern technology to build social housing...