Blackout disrupts Malawi Parliament again: MPs say ‘just give us candles’

Business in the National Assembly was disrupted on Tuesday  as the House was thrown into  darkness by a power outage with leading to jeers from the opposition as some members of Parliament (MPs) flipped open their mobile phones to use as flashlights.

Others were pouring insults at the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) which is implementing extended power rationing and they were heard murmuring “just give us candles.”

The blackout, which held up proceedings for few minutes, was symbolic of the energy crisis Malawi has been wrestling with for years.

“We apologise for the power failure. We are told the problem is at Escom and they will try to rectify it,” First Deputy Speaker  Esther Mcheka Chilenje said.

She promised the MPs that Parliament will get to the bottom of the matter and ensure that power outsages  never happen again.

It is reportedly that some  fuses im microphones in the House are burnt due to power cuts.

Parliament Secretariat asked  Escom for preferential supply of power during its business hours.

Escom is implementing massive load shedding to consumers following reduced generation capacity resulting from low water levels in Lake Malawi and the Shire River, home to 90 percent of Escom’s hydro-electric power stations.