Energy Committee challenges Egenco
BY KONDWANI MHONE
The Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources and Climate Change has given the Electricity Generation Company Limited (Egenco) a month to have a dredger at its Kapichira Power Station operational.
The committee also gave the company two weeks to repair generators at its Mapanga Station to reduce power outages rocking the country.
On Thursday and Friday, the committee went on a familiarisation tour of Egenco facilities in the Southern region.
It transpired that a machine used to desilt the company’s dam, donated under the Millennium Challenge project has not been used.
Chairperson of the committee Werani Chilenga, queried why the dredger, which was purchased in 2013, has not been operational.
“We have noted quite a lot of issues which need to be addressed as quickly as possible for instance, here at Kapichira, they are supposed to dredge their pond but they are not doing that and since it came, it has never worked until the project was over,” Said Chilenga.
He then gave the company two weeks to rectify challenges at Mapanga sub-station where six out of 10 diesel generators are not working for close to a month now.
Egenco Projects Development and Contracts Manager, Stephen Kaira, was quick to mention that there were software problems which affected use of the dredger but is still under warranty and will be resolved.
“We have gone a long way to address the problem which is there now with the dredging equipment so we can assure the nation that come January, the problem will be rectified,” Kaira said.
Egenco Public Relations Officer, Moses Gwaza, added that they are already working hard to have the spare parts for the generators at Mapanga by end of this week.
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