Angry residents from Airfield area in Dedza took to the streets on Monday to demostrate against a power outage which left their area in darkness for three weeks.
The residents, who carried tree branches and chanted songs, first stormed Dedza Police Station before they went to district commissioner’s office where they demanded an audience with him.
One of the residents, Wongani Zgambo, said an Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) transformer that served their area developed a fault three weeks ago and since then it is yet to be replaced.
“We have been without power for three weeks and the situation has made our lives difficult,” he said. Zgambo also said robbers were taking advantage of the situation to break into people’s compound.
Another resident, John Chimbuto said their businesses were disrupted due to the power outage. “Some of us depend on electricity for business such as operating barber shops, salons, shops and maize mills,” he said.
In an interview, Dedza District Council spokesperson Yohane Bilesi said they had been in contact with Escom officials who assured them that a new transformer will be installed in seven days.
In a separate interview yesterday, Escom public relations manager Innocent Chitosi confirmed receiving the complaint from Dedza District Council. We hope to solve the problem by the end of this week,” he said
Source: The Nation_Thursday, 11 February, 2021_by George Mponda