Illuminating insecurity: effects of load-shedding on personal security in Chimwemwe ward, Kitwe, Zambia

Abstract

This paper evaluates the impact of load shedding on personal security in Chimwemwe Ward, Kitwe, Zambia, using Cohen and Felson’s 1979 Routine Activities Theory (RAT). The research explored how frequent load shedding leads to higher levels of criminal activities and affects personal security among the residents. Systematic random sampling led to a sample size of 389 respondents, with data collected through questionnaires, and analysed using SPSS for descriptive statistics. The results indicate that load shedding has a significant effect on personal security; 48.2 % of the respondents indicated that they felt very insecure to walk alone in the dark during load shedding. Again, 58.5 % of the population surveyed felt highly concerned for their safety when staying alone at home during load shedding. The study further found that 10.8% of the victims of crime during load shedding changed their attitude towards life, while a similar percentage engaged in abnormal behaviours due to the crimes perpetrated against them. Despite these concerns, few residents did something to enhance their security, revealing a gap between perceived risk and proactive safety measures. These results highlight the need for expedited development and improvement of the security infrastructure, safety programmes rooted in communities, and more effective mechanisms for the reporting of crime, to mitigate the undesirable effects that load shedding could have as immediate consequences for personal security. Finally, the study makes recommendations for further research on the vulnerabilities of specific populations and considers alternative energy solutions that will contribute to community resilience.