Fire Escom management, PAC demands: Pressure mounts for ‘blackout’ service provider
The Public Affairs Committee (Pac) has backed calls for government to fire Electricity Supply Corporation (Escom) management for incompetence.
Malawians are calling for Escom management to step down in the wake of persistent blackouts the country is experiencing.
Escom has warned the nation to brace for more blackouts in the next four months due to lower water levels in the Lake Malawi and Shire River, the excuse which Shire River Basin Management Programme has dismissed.
Pac joined the chorus of Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama) which has also dismissed Escom’s excuses, blaming it for being short-sighted and lack of forecast and competence.
Pac’s spokesperson, Father Peter Mulomole said in an interview with Capital Radio that Escom managment was lying to the nation about the cause of the blackouts.
”They are cheating the nation. The best way they could do is to keep quiet. Escom management is failing, they should step down,” said Mulomole.
Mulomole said it was not ideal for government to maintain the Escom management which has proven to be incompetent.
”Why keeping people who are incompetent? Escom needs reform. We can’t talk of public reforms when we have institutions like Escom. Its time to walk the talk”.
However, Escom through its Public Relations Manager, Kitty Chingota said it stands by its reasons behinds the blackouts that are now longer than before the institution rehabilitated its power generation plants.
”We can’t comment on other people’s opinion. We stand by our statement, if people want to verify the facts they can come to our offices,” said Chingota.
Cama’s Executive Director, John Kapito earlier this week said it was baffling that the blackout situation was getting worse under the DPP administration unlike during the PP administration, and suspected the Escom management of sabotage.
Kapito has since urged consumers to demand money back for the period that they are being denied access to electricity since they have tofind other alternative source of energy, saying they are entitled to that refund based on the contract they have with Escom through the
Service Charter.
And Shire River Basin Management Programme has dismissed Escom’s excuses of lower levels in the river and the Lake of Malawi, saying there has not been any change in the level or flow of water in the river.
Reports indicate that Escom’s power generation plants have developed faults, causing the blackouts; and an advert in the daily newspapers by the company seemed to confirm this.
Escom is expected to shut down Kapichira Hydro Power Station in order to do some scheduled maintanance works which will reduce the country’s generation capacity to 213.04 mega watts against the forecast maximum demand of 270 mega watts.
Shutting down of the power generation plant will only worsen the blackout situation, which is increasingly becoming unbearable by day.
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Fellow Malawians, Blame the regulator, MERA, it lacks vision to protect the interests of consumers. Blame Energy Department, they have an outdated policy which was copied from some countries in the region and MERA endorsed it. Blame government for failing to prioritize energy sector. Government can make a bold decision to finance thermal plants one in the north and another in the south. They can stop subsiding fertilizer for a year or two and develop the power sector. ESCOM engineers and management are not to blame. They know the truth but choose to lie to the nation. Of course there… Read more »
A KAPITO YOU CAN be cleverer today but La 40 Lizakukwanirani like Lutepo and Bamusi! So you think Malawians are so umb that they don’t know you are being used by DPP inorder to sale ESCOM? You have gone further to rope in leader wa PAC naye wadyapo? I personal have insider information Malawians that DPP is bent on selling ESCOM, hence they have started paying these cheap NGOs to make noise! My insider source stated that Kapito is pocketing between Mk9m to mk15m, and wa PAC mdalayu not less than mk5m. Truth be told, even if you fire ESCOM… Read more »
Kapito you cant fool us Malawians, you are behind DPP being used inorder to sale ESCOM! This stupidity MUST BE STOPPED , you understand KAPITO? iDIOT MAN , YOU WANT TO SALE Malawi FOR YOUR PERSONAL GAINS? We know you have been promised Mk10m for this stupidity and pocketed mk3m! Anyone who wants to know more write me on [email protected]. Kapito MUST STOP THIS. If we are to state performance of CAMA, I think it has completely failed, since Kapito has been its leader, the plight of consumers in Malawi is getting worse and worse,,,itsnt it time for you Kapito… Read more »
Kasim whatever u call urself you are totally mad educated fellow. I wonder if u have researched enough on this. May be you don’t stay in Malawi and you think we are still in colonial era. Anthu akamati aMalawi timayiwala msanga ndizoonadi and even the learned like Kasim. Let me remind you ESCOM is been contradicting itself if you do follow their statement all these years. They told us that we have few generating machines and that is the reason. Just two years ago when JB was in government they told us that they have acquired machines which were in… Read more »
Fire someone in government employment? I think that must have been a mis-statement. Hardly any one, once they have started sucking up the money of hard-working tax payers, ever gets fired. Even recently, when some concerned citizens wanted to petition central government about problems with their District Commissioner, they asked he be ‘transferred’ , not fired. After making a mess of their job and duties, corrupting and stealing countless tax-payers money, they get transferred to yet another government job, to repeat the same thing all over again. It’s absolutely ridiculous. It should be scandalous, but, sadly, it’s almost an every… Read more »
Kapito is not a DPP. A Malawi munthu kuti akhoze zithu ayi ndiwa DPP. Umbuli wachuluka a Malawi. Too many saveges in this country.
Escom is good is at billing people by their substandard service.The only thing they know is to buy expensive cars for their CEOs and bankrolling money for campaign for cheap politicians.All strategic positions are planted by people who are connected to politicians.Which sane investor would like to come to a country which has blackouts throughout the month?people have small businesses which relies on electricity and how do you expect them to thrive in such environment?Kapito is right that these dim wits should be fired.Every time they have the excuses that the Shire river was full to the brim during rainy… Read more »
To all Malawians of good will, please do not comment before you verify facts against rumours. I went on a boat safari from Hippo View Lodge last Saturday, it is true that the water levels are very low and that crocodiles are in the open with hippos digging the mud and I fear we can lose all the water and all the animals that live in water in Liwonde National Park. It has never happened before. Its therefore true that the water levels are extremely low and that there is nothing that ESCOM can do in my view to avert… Read more »
Take two 90kg bags of Uranium to Russia,then ask Putin to build a nuclea plant to generate more electricity to meet the current demand. We have uranium already what can stop us as our population is increasing everyday? Those generators were designed to meet that population of 30yrs ago by Kamuzu and you are still using them today,what a shame? Ndalama angoba instead of investing for the future? l don’t blame them but becaz we Malawian’s are stupid,stingy and selfish pipo who doesn’t care about our children. If Escom indeed have the muscle to pay back to it’s customers,what is… Read more »