National Democratic Congress Party NDC president Chishimba Kambwili says it is very embarrassing that people can be suffering without electricity while their government is blaming it on global warming when Maamba Collieries has revealed that it is about debt.

Asked how he was doing at the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court yesterday, Kambwili said he was not fine because things were not okay in the country.

“No, I am not fine, the world is not fine. I have always said that insoni eh buntu (having some shame makes you human)…It is very embarrassing, extremely embarrassing that people can be suffering like this ukwaula amalaiti (without electricity). Fifteen hours ukwabula amalaiti (without electricity) and you are telling us it is global warming! What is global warming about Maamba Collieries not being paid?” Kambwili asked.

“What is global warming about Maamba Collieries? So people should be suffering? Bafwila fye kulipila ba Maamba Collieries so that their plant can run normally, they can do maintenance to their plant, and people of Zambia wake up!”

Kambwili lamented that people’s businesses were badly affected by the power outages.

“They are saying they are going to do a lot of generation projects other than hydro, and these generating projects are going to be done by independent power producers, like Maamba, now if he can not pay one Maamba what of five Maambas? So it simply means that we won’t have electricity in this government until we have rains, elo mule seka, ba welder teti mu welde, aba ma saloon teti mu boshe imishishi, aba ice cream teti mu shitishe ice cream, aba ma bucha inama ilebola (welders won’t be able to weld, hairdressers in saloons won’t be able to style hair with heat, ice cream sellers won’t be able to sell ice cream, those with butcheries, their meat is rotting) and you laugh that you have a government,” Kambwili said.

“They hid that information (about debt to Maamba Collieries), now you see, it is embarrassing. Maamba says we have actually switched off part of the plant because we are not being paid. Elo mwaya bula aba kote bama fire tenders, ancient fire tenders, mwaya chita airlift! Just because the people started saying that nanga aya ma fire tenders ayabapela yali kwi, mwayayika pandeke, mwayima filya ifintu ifya fina (you put those heavy machines on the plane), how much did you spend? Instead of spending that money on a serious issue like people having electricity, mwaya ukuyima aba kote bama fire tenders! Mule kwata insoni! Insoni ebuntu!”

Meanwhile, Kambwili urged government to immediately clear the debt owed to Maamba.

“I told you the other time that the MD for Zesco was just waffling when he appeared on Sunday Interview, waffling! Ba Dora Siliya, waffling! Ala ifya kulya ubushiku fitulikila umalushi (what transpired in the night reveals itself during the day), can you quickly go and pay Maamba!” demanded Kambwili.

“You haven’t paid Maamba, Eskom South Africa for the power during 2015, you haven’t paid, the Mozambicans, finshi mukalipilapo kamshi? (what are you going to ever pay for?)”