Nsanje District civil Society organisations’ (CSOs) network has taken the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) to task for not providing a convincing explanation for prolonged intermittent power supply since the onset of the rains. The CSOs network said people have been staying without power for almost the whole day, and sometimes up to 48 hours. The CSOs network summoned Escom officials in the district and other stakeholders, including the district commissioner (DC), to a meeting on Tuesday to seek explanation for the persistent power blackouts beyond the normal load shedding schedule. The network’s chairperson Moses Luhanga told the gathering that the continued power outages in the district are affecting all sectors of development, including health. “We heard that three children died while on a life-saving machine as electricity went out abruptly. We cannot be watching innocent people’s lives ending that way because of power failure,” he said. In his response, Escom official Benson Matululu attributed the blackout to vandalism of Escom property by the communities. “We must admit the challenge, but it is due to vandalism by the communities. Let us assist each other in safeguarding Escom property,” he said. On her part, DC Reinghard Chavula advised the participants to put the concerns in writing and send them to Escom headquarters.
(Source: The Nation, Thursday 24 January 2019)