Real Estate Expert Andrew Zimba has hinted […]

Real Estate Expert Andrew Zimba has hinted that most electricians in the housing market are unqualified, a status quo that is risky and raises concern over the efforts of the regulator, Engineering Institute of Zambia (EIZ).

Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times, Zimba observed that due to the lack of qualification, most of the materials used are substandard, and the works are shoddy, risking the safety of the occupants.

“Most of the electricians that are doing low-cost wiring of houses, they just use people who are not qualified, and when you ask them if they are registered with the Engineering Institute of Zambia, they are not and just use experience, and they are the ones that have flooded the market.”

“The materials that are used, if we look at the type of wires, those that are not professionally trained, they use cables that are of low standard from China.

 We have standard cables from ZAMEFA, which are suitable for any type of weather. The Chinese ones, in the long run, tend to start heating, and you find that it’s those houses that get burned.”

 Zimba added that the illegality has been fueled by the lack of stringent regulation by EIZ and monitoring of wired houses by ZESCO before allowing for power to be installed.

“The regulation is not so tight; from what I know, it is a sad story in Zambia, and even the way ZESCO has started to use cables is below standard.

 Where are the inspectors? Because there used to be some time back, there is a stage for ZESCO to approve the wiring; they need to be more strict.

 Most of these houses are so compromised.” As the low-cost housing market expands, the need for regulation becomes more revealing; there is an adequate need for stringent policy and monitoring to avoid possible tragedies in the form of electrocution and fire.

Article by Samuel Mutale