Sisala files for divorce
By Maluba Jere
Sun 27 Nov. 2011, 12:00 CAT
FORMER Zesco managing director Rhodnie Sisala has asked the Lusaka High Court to dissolve his marriage of four years to Eunice Mutinta Haambote Sisala, saying it had broken down irretrievably.
In a petition for dissolution of marriage pursuant to Section 8 and 9 (1) (b) of the matrimonial causes Act, Act number 20 0f 2007 and filed in the High Court, Sisala wants the court to dissolve the marriage because Haambote had behaved in such a way that he could not reasonably be expected to live with her.
According to the petition, Sisala and Haambote were lawfully married at the office of the registrar in Lusaka on November 9, 2007.
He stated that after the marriage, he and Haambote lived at Plot number 488a 11A Twin palm road Kabulonga.
Sisala is an electrical engineer by profession while Hambote is an accountant as well as a pastor at a named church.
He claimed that Haambote had made allegations to the effect that Sisala and his parents practiced witchcraft and accused him and his family of having killed his first wife and were now contemplating killing her.
Sisala further said Haambote often accused him and his family of being Satanists and that in the same vein, in April 2011, while he was away on business, his wife invited two "prophets' from South Africa who stayed at their matrimonial home for several days without his knowledge or consent.
He also alleges that in the same month, his wife accused him sleeping with his niece who he said is a child of the family.
Sisala said his wife's accusations traumatized the niece and caused him severe mental anguish.
He added that sometime this year, his wife left home and only went back several days later in the company of a named man who dropped her near their home.
Sisala said his wife laid false charges of assault against him which led to him being arrested but later released on police bond and ordered to be reporting to the police every week.
He said the said matter never went to court because his wife failed to furnish the police with enough evidence to prosecute.
Sisala stated that he asked several members of the family as well as the church to help resolve the matter amicably but that his wife refused to attend any of the meetings.
He said both he and his wife have had several meetings with senior family members to try and reconcile them or resolve their matrimonial problems but that these have all been unsuccessful.
Sisala added that he and his wife had been living on separation since March 2010 and prayed that the court dissolves the marriage and that each party should bear their own costs.
The matter comes up for hearing on December 9.
Labels: RHODNIE SISALA, ZESCO
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ZESCO Managing Director Fired
Thursday, May 7, 2009, 16:12
ZESCO Limited managing Director, Rhodnie Sisala, has been relieved of his duties.
The newly appointed ZESCO board announced in Lusaka on Thursday that it has with immediate effect terminated Mr. Sisala’s contract.
The board has meanwhile appointed Director of Power Rehabilitation and Generation projects at ZESCO, Musonda Chibulu, as acting Managing Director.
Board Chairman Songowayo Zyambo says Mr. Chibulu will act as ZESCO chief executive until a new one is appointed.
He said the position of ZESCO Managing Director will be advertised.
[ZNBC]
Labels: PARASTATALS, RHODNIE SISALA, ZESCO
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Nawakwi condemns Zesco management salary increase
Written by Chibaula Silwamba
Sunday, March 22, 2009 3:59:49 AM
OPPOSITION Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) president Edith Nawakwi has disclosed that Zambia’s power utility company Zesco has
increased salaries for its top management despite claims that the corporation was unprofitable. And Zesco managing director Rhodnie Sisala could neither deny nor confirm the salary increments but accused Nawakwi of being political on the issue. In an interview on Thursday, Nawakwi said the information she had gathered confirmed that Zesco management had increased conditions of service for the top management.
“Zesco top management has increased salaries and other conditions of service effective 1st February, 2009. That is the information that I am picking up from the rank and file of Zesco. These are the issues; can Mr Sisala tell us. Ask them to confirm or deny,” Nawakwi said.
“This is clearly in preparation for a possibility of separation of the corporation because if they were to be separated on the February 1st salary, from what we gather, the top eight or 10 will go with as much as K23 billion as package for all of them.”
She said Zesco had done the so-called job evaluation which had culminated in shoddy increments of salaries and allowances whose many beneficiaries were the top management.
“When the management stands up and say, ‘Zesco is not making profits, we need to invest in the system.’ Why are they investing in themselves?” Nawakwi asked. “We know the salary of the [Republican] President; the salary of the manager of Zesco cannot be a matter of the oracle.”
She observed that the cry that Zesco was not profitable hence the proposal to increase the tariffs was only meant to support the newly implemented wage and salary increment.
“If the company is not profitable how can we then be increasing the salaries? They should have told us that they are buying spares or they have bought so much spares,” Nawakwi said. “When everybody is tightening their belts, when the mines are folding up, when income for Zesco has dwindled, how on earth can they justify that their jobs require to be remunerated more than the others who are working?”
Nawakwi, therefore, said the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) should not even call up a hearing of whether electricity tariffs should be increased or not.
“What ERB should do is that they should publish the salary structures for the senior management in Zesco. This time around if there is a hearing, I will not go to the hearing unless ERB can publish the salary structures for Zesco,” she said. “We don’t want to know on individual basis, I just want to know how of the total turnover per month is spent on salaries and wages. For government we call it the per cent of wages to GDP [Gross Domestic Product]. I think you have heard that a minister cannot spend more than so much. So we also want to know how much of the money we are paying as tariffs goes to wages as compared to investments.”
Nawakwi said Zesco management should justify why the public should pay more in electricity bills.
“The minister is saying the company is unprofitable so I would like to know if the minister or the government has also approved those packages,” Nawakwi said. “How can they approve those packages when in America they are saying ‘these managing directors and corporation chief executives cannot go with as much money as they would have wanted.’ So how they [Zesco management] increase the wages and salaries hardly three months after a new government is in place? Isn’t this a preparation for their possible exit? I mean that hardly three months after President Banda has taken office, it is totally unacceptable that management at Zesco have given themselves increase packages.”
She said she had phoned the ERB to inform the regulator that this time around Zambians would only accept a tariff increase after the salary structure of management had been published and justified.
“We want to have hearing about the salary and other conditions structure of top management of Zesco before we talk about increase of electricity tariffs,” said Nawakwi. “I think that other than that we are going to gang up and we will make sure that there is no increment unless they justify one person in a month getting over K150 million as a salary for corporation that has no money.”
And when contacted for a comment Sisala said he could not react to Nawakwi statement until after her story had been published.
“As you know salary adjustments do take place from time to time. If you look at your papers [newspapers] we were negotiating with the unions from late last year; changes in conditions do take place from time to time. But I am unable to respond to Honourable Nawakwi’s statement because she is being political. I don’t think she is being helpful,” Sisala said. “I haven’t seen what Honourable Nawakwi has said unless I know what she is talking about. I don’t think it will be helpful…because you our colleagues in the media you take one story and if somebody doesn’t know what you are talking about and you add two things together…don’t you think it will be okay for me to cite what Honourbale Nawakwi has said? I can respond to the issues.”
But when this reporter offered to read to him what Nawakwi had said, Sisala refused maintaining that he would only respond when the opposition leader’s statement had been published.
“No! I don’t think so! I need to see what she has said. If there is a story that comes out in tomorrow’s paper, I will read it and then respond to it,” said Sisala.
And ERB executive director Sylvester Hibajane said he could not comment on the proposed tariff increments and Zesco management salaries.
“When a company like Zesco wants to adjust the tariffs, they notify the public through the media like they are doing and they are allowed 30 days to do so. That notice is still running and until 30 days have elapsed, we as ERB are not going to talk about this specific issue. After the 30 days have elapsed, then we shall engage the public,” said Hibajane.
Labels: EDITH NAWAKWI, RHODNIE SISALA, ZESCO
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Govt alone can’t meet challenges of infrastructure, says Sisala
Written by Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
Wednesday, February 11, 2009 9:45:22 AM
ZESCO Limited managing director Rhodnie Sisala has said governments and public establishments cannot provide adequate capital to meet challenges of infrastructure development in their countries.
And energy deputy minister Lameck Chibombamilimo has said Zambia is well positioned geographically, economically and politically to become a hub of economic activity and enterprise in the Southern African region.
During the Public Private Partnership (PPP) seminar in Livingstone yesterday, Sisala said it had now become universally acceptable that governments and their entities alone could not garner sufficient resources to deal with challenges of infrastructure development and provision of services to their nations.
Sisala said the government needed to join hands with the private sector through PPP’s and other methods of development financing.
“As part of developing the Itezh-Tezhi and Kariba North Bank extension power projects, Zesco appointed a consortium of financial and legal advisors led by Fiedstone. Under this contract, the consortium had a responsibility to provide capacity building to Zesco on subjects ranging from project finance, financial modelling, project management and evaluation,” he said.
Sisala added that in line with changing project development techniques, it was further decided to include PPP in the training package.
And officially opening the PPP seminar, Chibombamilimo said the government had the desire to see accelerated development of infrastructure especially in the electricity sector.
“As such, there is need for us to be proactive and facilitate the development of relevant infrastructure, required to support this vast potential for economic advancement,” he said.
He said Zambia was already an active player in the electricity sector as a member of the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), [which is currently being chaired by Sisala, Zesco Limited’s managing director].
“We still need energy infrastructure, roads, railways, harbours, airports and all the infrastructure relevant for business transactions and development of our nation,” he said.
He added that the PPPs were part of the solution to infrastructure problems, although they may not be the ultimate answer.
“The current financial environment may pose serious challenges more so that it has affected the strongest of economies and impacted negatively on our economies. Nevertheless, we need to maintain a positive attitude as a country,” said Chibombamilimo.
Labels: INFRASTRUCTURE, RHODNIE SISALA
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Sisala dismisses claims of load shedding in mines
By Kabanda Chulu
Saturday May 24, 2008 [04:00]
STAKEHOLDERS have dismissed
finance ministry permanent secretary Emmanuel Ngulube’s assertions that the government may not get the projected US$ 415 million from mining windfall taxes due to load shedding. And Zesco Limited managing director
Rhodnie Sisala said the current load shedding would not affect investments in the mining sector. During submissions to the parliamentary committee on estimates this week, Ngulube said the power outages were a challenge to the government because they would affect production from the mines.
“The projected revenue collections of US $ 415 million from the mining industry for this year many not be achieved because of power outages, therefore, we expect the revenue to reduce,” said Ngulube.
However, when making submissions to the same committee yesterday, Sisala said the mines were not affected by load shedding.
“The mines are not affected by the current load shedding and their investments will not be affected,” said Sisala.
And ATRADE managing director Trevor Simumba explained that Copperbelt Energy Corporation was a reliable supplier of power to the mines even in terms of national power blackouts.
Simumba said most mining companies were customers of Copperbelt Energy.
“Copperbelt Energy is very reliable in supplying power to the mines as was evidenced even during the national blackout when the company managed to import power urgently from DR Congo just to keep the mines in operations,” said Simumba.
Copperbelt Energy has entered into a long-term Bulk Supply Agreement with Zesco Limited that ensures a reliable and effective supply of electricity to the mines.
Copperbelt Energy also has in place four stand-by diesel powered sub stations that could mitigate power outages by generating 80 mega watts of power for the mines.
Labels: EMMANUEL NGULUBE, RHODNIE SISALA, WINDFALL TAX, ZESCO
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IMF comment on Zesco saddens Sisala
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Monday May 12, 2008 [04:00]
ZESCO managing director Rhodnie Sisala has described as unfortunate the statement by IMF that the power utility is a financially unviable company that is incapable of mobilising resources for necessary expansion of power generation. Speaking during the Institute of Directors (IoD) luncheon, on Friday Sisala said the comments were not made in a sincere manner because the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had always worked closely with government in mapping out the growth strategy for Zesco Limited. He said he was reluctant to comment further on the matter.V
“The comments by the IMF are most unfortunate. I am even reluctant to comment on that statement because they have not been made in a sincere manner,” Sisala said. “We did not expect them to bring in that issue because there has not been a stage when they have not been part of the discussion that is on the electricity situation in the country. What is it that government has done about the electricity sector without consulting IMF and World Bank…even working with other institutions like the Development Bank of Southern Africa, the European Investment Bank (EIB), and that is how we have proceeded in dealing with the electricity situation. So I found those comments not to have been made in a sincere manner.”
Sisala said Zesco was currently engaged in discussion with financiers locally and internationally to source for the money needed for rehabilitating and increasing power generation facilities.
He also said the country needed about US$4 billion to overcome all the challenges it was currently facing in the energy sector.
And on calls by IMF that government unbundled Zesco into three segments namely generation, transmission and distribution, Sisala said preliminary results indicated that in countries where that had been implemented, the power sector was in a mess.
He also said the current power provision responsibility for the Zesco was not insurmountable and that the power utility was capable of handling power from generation, supply and distribution.
“Power responsibilities for Zesco are not too big. We only have 350 000 customers and we handle less than 1, 600 mega watts while some of the utilities in the region like Eskom of South Africa handle about 20 to 30 million customers and have installed capacity of 45, 000 mega watts but still intact,” Sisala said. “Examples are there to show that in some countries in Africa like Uganda and Kenya where electricity has been divided into the three, the energy sector there is in a total mess. In fact in Uganda after the power utility was unbundled, electricity charges jumped from 9 cents to 27 cents per kilowatt-hour.
In a paper called Electric Power in Zambia - potential obstacle to growth, the IMF observed that Zesco would have a hard time raising the needed finances for investment even if it raised electricity tariffs due to its track record and weak balance sheet.
The IMF further proposed for the unbundling of Zesco into three segments namely generation, transmission and distribution, saying the move would improve efficiency of the country's monopoly power company.
Labels: IMF, RHODNIE SISALA, ZESCO
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Zambia to experience more load shedding, says Sisala
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Sunday May 11, 2008 [04:01]
ZAMBIA’S inter-connector with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been cut resulting in increased load shedding in the country, Zesco managing director Rhodnie Sisala has confirmed. And a source said efforts by Zesco to expedite the restoration of power supply on the 120 megawatts line has proved difficult because authorities in DRC have been averse.
Meanwhile, Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) said the disconnection of the Zambia-DRC inter-connector has only negatively affected domestic consumers as mining companies were adequately being energised under the bulk supply arrangement.
Currently, the DRC inter-connector is Zambia’s sole source of imported electricity after the country disconnected from the regional power pool following system disturbances early this year which resulted in three national blackouts.
“I can confirm that our inter-connector with DRC was vandalised last Friday (May 2) and the vandalism occurred on the Congo side,” Sisala said. “This means that the 120 megawatts that we import from DRC has not been available in the last 10 days and that has caused further load shedding in the country. But we are hopeful that our colleagues from Congo will restore this service soon.”
And a source said Zesco’s repeated efforts to work with their counterparts in DRC to restore power were proving difficult.
“The problem emanated from the DRC side after the tower was damaged. The vandals stole the conductors from the transmission line. So, currently our imports from DRC which fluctuate between 100 to 120 megawatts are out,” said the source.
“But the biggest problem is that Snel has not moved with haste despite repeated pleas from here (Zesco). Even during the Southern Power meeting, Zesco management approached them over the matter and they assured us that the line would be restored by last Wednesday but up to now nothing is happening…you know these war-torn countries, we can only push them to a certain extent.”
Meanwhile, CEC investor relations manager Clara Musama who also confirmed the development said the disturbance had only negatively affected domestic consumers.
“The line has been having problems but that is not affecting the mining companies as they are adequately covered under the bulk supply arrangement that we have with Zesco,” said Musama.
“Although the transmission line from DRC belongs to us, it is basically used by Zesco to supply to mostly domestic and other consumers.”
The SAPP inter-connectors were disconnected last February to allow regional utilities, particularly Zesa, Eskom of South Africa and Kariba North Station in Zambia to easily trace faults that were causing disturbances on the grid.
Labels: CEC, RHODNIE SISALA, ZESCO
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Sisala dismisses fears of investment loss in mining
By Jack Zimba
Monday April 21, 2008 [04:00]
ZESCO managing director Rodnie Sisala has dismissed fears that Zambia is losing huge investments in the mining sector due to the power deficit the country and the sub-region is currently facing. “We are in regular discussion with investors in that sector and speaking to them. We do not get that impression that people are pulling back in terms of investing in the mining sector,” Sisala told the parliamentary committee on energy last Friday.
Sisala assured the committee, chaired by Mazabuka Central member of parliament Gary Nkombo, that with the many mines and factories scheduled to begin operations in the next one year, the power utility company had made its projections into the country’s power needs and plans were under way to meet the demand.
He said the country’s power consumption was expected to increase in the next five years, from the current 1,400 mega watts to 2,500 megawatts.
“Part of our challenge now is how we are going to get that additional 1,000 megawatts and we do have plans to meet that expected demand in power,” Sisala said.
Asked if Zesco would seek a foreign investor to develop the Kafue Gorge Lower, Sisala said with an asset base of US$4 billion, Zesco was in a good position to source the US$1 billion needed for the project.
He said there was no need for partnership with a foreign investor to develop the project.
And Sisala said Zesco would continue with the rural electrification programme despite the power deficit the country was facing.
Sisala said the power required to supply rural needs was small and could not have a significant effect on the national power output.
Last year, the southern African region experienced power blackouts, forcing South Africa and Zambia to cut supply to neighbouring countries such as Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
But Zesco’s director of generation and transmission, Christopher Nthala, said Zambia would soon get back on the regional inter-connector.
He Zambia could not stand alone in the region, adding that the advantages of being inter-connected by far outweighed the disadvantages.
“We are just waiting for things to be sorted out in one of our neighbouring countries which I will not name,” Nthala said.
Sisala also expressed concern at Zambia’s ‘low tariffs,’ saying this would in future make the country less competitive in the region.
“In future we might face a situation where an investor from another country in the region will import power from us cheaply and sell it back to us at a higher price,” he said.
Sisala insisted that Zambia had the lowest tariffs in the region at four cents per kW, compared to other countries where it cost as much as seven cents per Kw.
Labels: RHODNIE SISALA, ZESCO
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Zesco explains power outage
By Joan Chirwa, Sandra Mulowa and Edwin Mbulo
Monday January 21, 2008 [03:00]
A MAJOR system disturbance on the Zambian high voltage network is behind the countrywide power outage experienced on Saturday night, Zesco managing director Rhodnie Sisala said yesterday. Sisala said the collapse of the Zambian high voltage line also extensively affected the inter-connector system among Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana, making imports of power from other countries practically impossible as the national grid was interrupted.
And mining companies and other industrial operations on Saturday night had a huge setback in production following the countrywide power outage. Meanwhile, Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) chief executive Muyunda Illilonga has advised the government to take decisive measures on the future operations of Zesco Limited.
Briefing the press on the causes of the power failure that affected almost all parts of the country from Saturday night to yesterday morning, Sisala said the disturbance on the Zambian high voltage network resulted in extensive loss of power supply in the country and also affected the inter-connector system of Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
He said they had not yet established the exact cause of the fault on the inter-connector system, as they were in the process of collecting information from Botswana and Zimbabwe to assist in the problem identification process.
“At the time of the tripping, the system status was as follows; at Kafue Gorge Power Station, four machines were running producing a total generation of 597 MW (Mega Watts). At Kariba North Bank, three machines were in operation producing a total of 473 MW.
Two units at Kafue Gorge and one unit at Kariba North Bank power stations are out of service due to the power rehabilitation project works,” Sisala explained. “The 330 kV Leopards Hill - Kariba North Bank Line One was off due to a collapsed tower.
For the rest of the Zambian system, the state of the major plant and equipment were in satisfactory condition and were in service.
The system disturbance was extensive in nature and affected the interconnected system of Zambian, Zimbabwe and Botswana.”
Sisala said the restoration process of power using the Black Start method was declared at Kafue Gorge, Kariba North Bank and Victoria Falls power stations, a system that requires external supplies to run oil pumps.
“A Black Start was declared and the three major power stations at Kafue Gorge, Kariba North Bank and Victoria Falls were given authority to implement the Black Start procedure. The restoration process started immediately at Victoria Falls power station which supplies the Southern and Western parts of Zambia and power was restored at 22.07 hours,” Sisala said.
“The restoration of power stations at Kafue Gorge and Kariba North Bank commenced with the starting of the stand-by diesel generators at each power station. Kariba North Bank was restored at 03:31 hours while Kafue Gorge was restored at 04;28 hours. High voltages were experienced during the restoration process due to low demand at the time of the night which led to the delay in restoration of the loads.”
Sisala further said it was difficult for Zesco to take preventive measures against such an incident but could only look at ways of mitigating a similar occurrence.
“Each and every major incident is thoroughly investigated. That is why we take long because we have to analyse technical information,” Sisala said. “These are natural phenomenons that first have to be mitigated as fast as we can.”
As a result of the power outage, Konkola Copper Mine (KCM), which is one of the country’s major mining investments, is reported to have had one of its shafts partially flooded while operations at its smelter were also disturbed.
Almost all parts of Zambia experienced a power outage of more than seven hours, from around 19:30 hours on Saturday to about 03:30 hours yesterday morning, grounding most commercial and industrial operations in the country.
“We have been badly affected by Zesco’s power cut which hit the whole country. One shaft at KCM has been partially flooded and the smelter is also badly affected,” said the company’s spokesperson Sam Equamo, adding: “We will issue a full statement on the impact of the power outage tomorrow (today morning) as we are still establishing the extent of the damage.”
And Chambishi Metals chief executive officer Derek Webbstock said the company lost three quarters of its daily production as a result of the power failure.
“Chambishi Metals requires a lot of power and although power has been restored now, we cannot operate because electricity has not stabilised yet,” said Webbstock.
And Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) chief executive officer Hanson Sindowe said CEC managed to supply 150 mega watts (MW) of emergency power to mining companies through its turbines and imported electricity from Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
“When that happened, we had to run our gas turbines around the Copperbelt and used part of our imports from the DRC to supply emergency power to the mines to avoid accidents such as loss of lives because the mines had to evacuate people from underground,” said Sindowe.
Meanwhile, Illilonga said the government needed to critically look at the operations of Zesco and ensure that measures were taken to enhance efficiency levels.
“The complaints against Zesco are too many and yet it appears nothing will be done about it,” Illilonga said. “To have unplanned power interruptions every now and then is quite worrisome. It has been four years since the start of Zesco’s commercialisation process but nothing seems to have been done.”
And Zambia Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry chief executive Justin Chisulo said Saturday’s power outage was symptomatic of what the electricity sector was going through in Zambia.
“We are not generating enough power to feed the new and upcoming industries and the mines. We are signing power supply contracts for power which is currently limited,” Chisulo said. “I think we need to allow those that can quickly source money and put up infrastructure for electricity generation.”
And the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) vice-president Sam Phiri described the national power black-out as pathetic and a disaster.
Phiri said there was need for authorities to take precautionary measures so that the country did not face blackouts.
"We have been getting information from people that operations couldn't be normal. Some had to shut down. We should learn from other countries. The problem is that we have gone into slumber," Phiri said.
He said Zambia could not afford to have one disaster after the other and that ZCTU was extremely disappointed with the incident.
“This is lack of vision to whichever administration is in power. We have reports of children dying in floods. From that a lot can be told. We should be focused," Phiri said. “This is a national disaster a lot of things have been damaged. We would like to hear from Zesco what really happened.”
Phiri said the issue required a sense of urgency like was the case during elections.
"When it comes to elections, they don't say 'we have no money'. This issue involves the lives of people," he said.
Phiri said the issue was not political but a national one and that no one should come up with politics.
And sources at the Victoria Falls power station said the facility was not under threat of over-flooding as it was designed to even operate under water.
Sources said the 1950 flooding of the Zambezi River submerged the power station but generation of power was not affected.
"Even when the Kaunda administration decided to build two more stations, 'B' and 'C', the architects designed the stations in such a way that should the river get flooded, the stations would be closed so as not to allow water damaging the turbines," said the sources.
Labels: NEPOTISM, PARASTATALS, RHODNIE SISALA, ZESCO
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