
ADVERTISEMENT

Officials of the Jesuit research institution based in Lusaka say they are “particularly concerned” about the plight of individuals running medium and small medium enterprises (MSMEs) such as saloons, barbershops, and welding businesses which rely heavily on electricity.
“The productivity of such MSMEs is likely to be greatly disrupted, potentially driving some of them out of business,” they say, adding that MSMEs contribute about 88% to the nation’s employment and supports the livelihoods of the majority of Zambians.
JCTR officials say they are also worried about the consequences that load shedding will have on low-income households.
The productivity of low-income households “may be reduced as a result of disrupted productivity, further limiting their ability to protect themselves from the high cost of living,” the Jesuit scholars say.
“This will restrict access to critical social services for human survival and development,” they say.
More in Africa
Load shedding, the Jesuit scholars in Zambia further say, “has the potential to reverse the gains made by the government over the last year. This will impede economic growth and limit post-pandemic recovery in the face of climate change, the Ukraine war, and the debt crisis.”
Officials of the Zambia-based institution say the government “must act quickly to address this energy problem” in order to prevent the economy from slowing down and to safeguard the most vulnerable households in the Southern African nation.
In an attempt to offer a solution to the challenge, JCTR officials say the “government could therefore consider cutting exportation of power or adopting short-term importation of power to help reduce load shedding hour. This is important in preventing the most vulnerable households from falling into poverty.”
Zambia needs to reduce its overdependence on hydropower, they say, adding that because hydropower “is still in danger from the effects of climate change, the government must start investing heavily in other energy sources.”
“It is crucial to adopt a well-thought-out strategy to increase and diversify the energy-producing capacity by actively embracing alternative renewable energy sources,” the Jesuit scholars say.
South Africa vs Ireland LIVE Updates: Score, Stream Info, Lineups and How to Watch Rugby World Cup | 09/23/2023 – VAVEL USA
Follow game South Africa vs Ireland updates coverage, stream information, score and result online, prediction, TV channel, lineups and time of the Rugby World Cup. Match will start at 8 am ET on September 23rd 2023SpringboksADVERTISEMENT60 LIVE UPDATES More Sports News
South Africa vs Ireland LIVE Updates: Score, Stream Info, Lineups and How to Watch Rugby World Cup | 09/23/2023 – VAVEL USA
Follow game South Africa vs Ireland updates coverage, stream information, score and result online, prediction, TV channel, lineups and time of the Rugby World Cup. Match will start at 8 am ET on September 23rd 2023SpringboksADVERTISEMENT60 LIVE UPDATES More Sports News
Niger’s coup leaders accused the head of the United Nations on Friday of obstructing their participation in the body’s General Assembly, saying it was “likely to undermine any effort to end the crisis in our country”.
Issued on: 23/09/2023 – 08:43
2 min
Advertising
Read more
Rebel elite soldiers overthrew president Mohamed Bazoum on July 26 and have since detained him at home with his family.Negotiations to restore civilian rule have yet to bear fruit, with the junta demanding a three-year transition and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) calling for the immediate return of the democratically elected Bazoum.The coup has also been strongly criticised by Western governments and global bodies such as the UN, which is holding its General Assembly of world leaders in New York this week.In a news release read on public television, the military said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres “went astray in the exercise of his mission by obstructing Niger’s full participation in the 78th session of the UN General Assembly”.It criticised “the perfidious actions” of the UN leader, adding that they were “likely to undermine any effort to end the crisis in our country”.Bakary Yaou Sangare, who before the coup was Niger’s ambassador to the UN and is now its foreign minister, was the new leaders’ chosen representative for the gathering.But, according to a diplomatic source, there was also an application by the overthrown government to represent Niamey.”In case of competing credentials from a Member State the secretary-general defers the matter to the Credentials Committee of the General Assembly who will deliberate on the matter,” Guterres’ spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.”The secretary-general does not decide.”Because the committee will not meet until later, no representative from Niger was added to the speakers’ list.Niger “forcefully rejects and denounces this clear interference by Mr Guterres in the internal affairs of a sovereign state”, the junta said.Worries over Sahel One of the world’s poorest nations, Niger is the fourth country in West Africa to suffer a coup since 2020, following Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali.Bazoum’s removal heightened international worries over the Sahel region, which faces growing jihadist insurgencies linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.Regional sanctions since the coup mean food and medicines are scarce in landlocked Niger, prices are skyrocketing and there are blackouts after Nigeria cut electricity supplies.Senegal’s President Macky Sall said on Thursday a diplomatic solution in Niger was “still possible”.”I hope that reason will ultimately prevail… that it is still possible to move forward reasonably to a solution,” Sall said in an interview with France’s RFI and France 24 media outlets.He urged Niger’s coup leaders “to not push (us) to the final decision which would be a military intervention”.The military leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger signed a mutual defence pact this month, saying they aimed to “establish an architecture of collective defence and mutual assistance for the benefit of our populations”.(AFP)
Derry City & Strabane – Plumbridge based fashion designer Madge … – Derry City and Strabane District Council
The ‘Cult of David’: More Former Employees of David Adjaye Allege They Were Overworked, Underpaid, and Victims of ‘Emotional Abuse’ – artnet News
Bahrain’s head of antiquities on why making the World Heritage List … – The National
The “lêkê”, poor man’s shoes that have become a symbol of Ivorian culture – Africanews English
15 Times Meghan Has Flown The Flag For Sustainable Fashion – British Vogue
Integration of Human Immunodeficiency Viruses (HIV) and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services yield massive results in Zimbabwe – ZAWYA
The 2023 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists Take New York … – Vogue
Pope Francis visits Marseille as anti-migrant views grow in Europe with talk of fences and blockades – ABC News
One Zimbabwe Classifieds | ZimMarket
www.1zimbabweclassifieds.co.zw
www.1southafricaclassifieds.com
Zimbabwe Market Classifieds | ZimMarket
1 Zimbabwe Market Classifieds | ZimMarket
Linking Buyers To Sellers Is Our Business Tradition