The decision by the power utility company, Zesco in Chipata, Eastern Province to disconnect power from a hammer mill which is the only money making venture for the Zambia Federation of the Blind has not sat well with Minister of Community Development and Social Services, Hon Doreen Mwamba.
During a social cash transfer engagement meeting in Eastern Province on Monday, the Minister learnt through a complaint from one of the vulnerable beneficiaries of the social cash transfer programmes, Samson Njovu that Zesco had gone ahead to disconnect power from the hammer mill which is a source of their livelihood.
The Development unsettled Hon Mwamba who promised to follow up the matter with Zesco and pledged to settle the K 7,000 electricity outstanding bill.
And when she visited the Zesco offices on Tuesday morning ,Hon Mwamba was visibly disappointed with what she termed as poor service delivery on the part of Zesco employees who seemed uncaring to attend to her even after waiting in the regional managers office for close to 30 minutes.
She said it is disappointing that the power utility firm decided to disconnect power from the most vulnerable in society despite them pleading to enter into a payment plan just to sustain their livelihoods through the hammer mill business.
“If that hammer mill was at a Minister’s place, you would have not gone ahead to disconnect power” she challenged the officer from Zesco, insisting on the need to change how society treats those who are vulnerable in society.
She therefore demanded that power be restored immediately, with a call for a mindset change towards service delivery.
