Cama to sue Blantyre Water Board on water shortages
The Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama) has threatened to take legal action against Blantyre Water Board (BWB) for misleading consumers and failure to address water supply challenges Blantyre city is currently experiencing.
Cama has since demanded BWB to resume normal water supply with immediate.
For the past two weeks, business has been on standstill in the city as residential areas and townships as well as corporate institutions have been having no water supply.
The utility body attributed the situation to heavy silt that clogged their pumping station at Walkers Ferry in Nkula, Mwanza due to floods.
BWB promised to restore the normal supply of the piped water by last Sunday before shifting their stand and pledged to resume the supply by Wednesday 21st January, 2015.
However, the situation has not changed; the city continues to experience dry taps.
On Thursday, the consumer watchdog’s Executive Director, John Kapito took to task BWB for misleading consumers and demanded it to apologize for such inefficiency.
“Cama is taking legal action against you (BWB) on behalf of all residents of Blantyre because of the untruthfulness, misleading contents of your Press Release, and continuous disruption of supply of
water,” said Kapito in a statement.
Kapito highlighted that BWB has been making anomalies in its press statements on water shortages and demanded the institution to make an apology.
“We are, therefore, demanding you to make the said apology within the next 24 hours in both print and electronic media for not less than 10 times. And we are also demanding that water supply should normalize with immediate effects as indicated in your press statement,” added Kapito.
According Consumer Protection Law (2003) part VII Section 43 every supplier or trader of technology, goods and services is demanded to provide a consumer with true, adequate, clear and prompt information on the technology, goods and services offered, so that the consumer can make a proper and informed choice.
“As a onsumer organization we have engaged you continuously regarding the challenges that your organization is facing in the delivery of water and on your poor communication skills; we have also gone further to advice you to resist making promises to consumers that you cannot fulfill so that you do not create confusion amongst consumers.”
There are fears that Blantyre might face an outbreak of waterborne diseases especially cholera as water situation has reached a critical stage coupled by the intermittent electricity supply, forcing residents to rely on rainy water and other unprotected water sources.
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Kapito fufuzani momwe ayendera ma bill meezi uno. BWB yaonjezera ma bill a madzi ncholinga chopanga recover ma loss a madzi omwe sanapereke. Izi achitiratu mwezi uno popeza akudziwa kuti bill ya January ikakhala yokwera kapena ya normal anthu akwiya. Chonde fufuzani zomwe zachitika ndi ma bill ndipo muonetsetse kuti,mwezi wa mawa ma bill abwere otsikirapo by half chifukwa takhala 2 weeks opanda madzi a water board
Who could have seen the natural disaster coming. This is a lesson we must learn from.
As a city, we are over reliant on the Shire for our water and electricity which is not sustainable. We need to diversify our energy sources.
Mr kapito have failed Malawians on yr part
Please fire all top brass at BWB why are they not ready for these types of problem. Even Escom Top brass should be fired, the amount of blackouts is the worst we are experiencing in 30 years. Escom faults especially in lilongwe dont have the courtesy to even answer the call they will go unanswered for hours and when they answer they are so rude, tatopa, we need wholesale changes at escom and BWB or i see Mother malawi going down hill. Serious need to privatise these institutions the top brass are just increasing there bellies
Do not change goals. First thing first. Please go and shit first before taking the Board to court
kapito mafuta anatsika munapangako chani? inunso simukutithandiza why cant u resign
People were paying bills all this time, for water and electricity and the water board and electricity both were not investing in infrastructure, they need some engineers to work for them to figure this out but perhaps all this change in political parties and hampered any development. I preferred Joyce Banda and Kamuzu as leaders these Mutharika’s I don’t know where we are as a people or even as a country. God please help us. If they is a way can we have someone like Kamuzu back in power.
kodi a Kapito mutu unadzungulira ndi ma ARV eti ndimayesa inu munakana ku match last time kuti mwagwirizana ndi a Bt Water Board inu komanso munanena anzanu amakamatcha aja kuti they are senselence. Now you have shown kuti you are senseless. Kodi ndalama anakupatsani aboma kudzera mwa Bamusi zija sidzinakwane eti. Ukungokula mimba basi chitsiru iwe opanda nzeru mkamwamo ngati nyapapi.
KAPITO is a TRAITOR
Mr. John Kapito, mwati muwapanga sue a BWB kuti chani? I thought dzanadzanali u visited WF and you were so appreciative of the efforts being done by BWB? You saw it for yourself that BWB had done their part and they were so hopefull that they were going to resume pumping water as planed. Unfortunately Escom could not close the barrage for the water levels to build up hence failing to meet their dateline? Chonde musamakhale ngati munthu wosapita ku xool a Kapito. Athandizeni anthu ena kumvetsa what is happening, try as much as possible to build and not destroy.… Read more »