Load shedding, anti-Constitution change protest looms
By Thandizo Banda in Kabwe
SOME Kabwe residents have written to the Zambia Police Service notifying them of the intention to stage a peaceful protest against prolonged load shedding the district is experiencing.
The residents have also informed the police that they would use the same platform to express their concerns over the government proposed constitutional amendment.
In an interview with The Mast, a member of the group Teddy Nkunka said many youths and citizens were concerned about the prolonged load shedding and lack of clear schedules from Zesco Limited.
“The status quo has rendered many small-scale business people into destitution. We want Zesco to stop or cut down on the export quantity of power and redirect that to reactivate the local business people, especially the small-scale ones,” he said.
And Nkunka says Zambians are not interested in the government’s proposal to amend the Constitution months ahead of the 2026 general elections.
He said a listening government would spend time to listen to the concerns Zambians were expressing instead of forcing the amendments in the manner the United Party for National Development (UPND) wanted to.
“Many Zambians are not interested to have the constitution amended now when most of them go to bed without eating anything and not sure where their next meal would come from,” Nkunka said.
Nkunka said he was one of the people pushing for the protest in the interest of Zambians.
He said the protest was not a political agenda but a Zambian programme aimed at reminding those in leadership to take concerns of citizens on board.
“I am one of the three individuals that notified the police about the intentions of Kabwe residents to air out their grievances on 8th June, 2025.
We notified the office of the officer-in-charge at Kabwe Central Police Station on 15th May, 2025. We wrote and they said they would write back to us,” he said.
But Central Province commissioner of police Charity Munganga Chanda could not give details as she was yet to see the notification.
“I’m not aware of that and cannot comment until such a time when the matter shall be brought to my office,” Chanda said.
