Kapito blasts Escom: ‘Refund consumers when there is balckout in Malawi’
The Consumers Association of Malawi (CAMA) has hit at Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) over the current blackout situation in the country, arguing the situation has become much worse under Peter Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) era than it was under Joyce Banda’s Peoples Party (PP) administration.
Under the two-year era of Joyce Banda, Malawians rarely experienced blackouts, but the situation changed from better to worse soon after DPP controversially took over the reins of power in the May 2014 disputed elections.
And this week the Electricity Supply of Malawi (Escom) 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.
However, Cama’s Executive Director, John Kapito has dismissed Escom’s excuses, blaming it for being short-sighted and lack of forecast and competence.
Kapito said it was baffling that the blackout situation was getting worse under the DPP administration unlike during the previous administration, and suspected the Escom management of sabotage.
“Escom management must explain to the public as to why we have a lot of blackouts under the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration than we had under Peoples Party (PP) administration if it’s not mare sabotage to the current administration. Unfortunately neither Escom nor the Ministry of energy seem to exist in this country,” Kapito queried.
The consumer and human rights activist even wondered how the country will manage to attract potential investors with the current electricity crisis and argued that consumers were paying higher
electricity tariffs while others were struggling to access and pay for electricity as Escom cannot deliver the product.
“And they are forgetting that the very same Government they represent is wooing investors to invest in Malawi and that energy is the key for any strategic investor to put money in an economy as confused as the Malawi economy where the leaders believe in rhetoric other than actions, where the key policy making institutions and implementers do not seem to understand their role”.
Kapito also said the persistent blackouts have surprised consumers as they were promised the electricity situation will improve after the rehabilitation of the power generation plants.
“What is more annoying is that the current blackouts are even much worse than before they had rehabilitated their machine, and how they contradict Escom’s Service Charter where a number of commitments were made on electricity supply.
“It is also annoying that Escom management has failed to plan ahead on how they can generate and distribute electricity in Malawi knowing fully that their main resource is water on the Shire River. Their failure to plan and forecast on water level changes in the Shire River has been the main cause of challenges that Escom is ignorant about, any management that fails to plan and focus ahead is as good as dead; hence we cannot accept the excuses from Escom regarding either low or higher levels of water in Shire River”.
Kapito has since urged consumers to demand money back for the period that they are being denied access to electricity since they have to find other alternative source of energy, saying they are entitled to that refund based on the contract they have with Escom through the Service Charter.
“We are therefore appealing Government through the Ministry of energy to make reference to the Service Charter that it signed with Escom and ensure that Consumers are protected from Escom’s incompetence. It is in our concerns that Escom’s incompetence is coming from the same background of arrogance and lack of respect to consumers”.
Meanwhil, Kapito has demanded government to institute immediate reforms at Escom if it is serious about the public sector reforms, and called for immediate restoration of uninterrupted power supply as well as an immediate end to the current blackouts.
“Refund Consumers with credits when Escom has failed to provide electricity. Government must immediately engage the public on the calibre of an Energy generator and distributor so that it can meet the aspirations of Malawians.
Escom management must stop the habit of ‘Business as usual’ which is, as long they get their salaries and perks at end of the month, they don’t care about supplying the public with uninterrupted electricity”.
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These black outs are nothing but a strategy to sell Escom. Its a scapegoat. There is no money to plunder as the donors are tight with their money. What else can they do apart from finding faults in services then selling them. They sold the Bank and they confirmed that they don’t know what to do with the money. That is if the money is still there. The Mortuary’s are not working and the solution is to sell them. The Hospitals are non functional coz of lack of drugs the solution is to sell them by oppressing the poor who… Read more »
Kuvuta kwa magetsi ndi plan ya boma tidziti Escom yalephera ndiye tipeze strategic partner cholinga agule company
I thought Kapito you said JB knows nothing? Lero???? You supported this clueless professor just for being your tribes man! He sold MSB for a soing, you didn’t match, blackouts everyday, you don’t match, forex skylocketing,you don’t match in short everything in Malawi since DPP came to power is not working,,,,why are you not matching everyday as you did during JB? And this CAMA is it a life time position for Kapito only? You preach democracy, and why are you not retiring from CAMA? Even you since you became CAMA president, the plight of consumers is becoming worse and worse,,,is… Read more »
A ESCOM NANU MWANYANYA MA EXCUSE A BOZA MUKUNGOTHAIMA NYENGO IKAKHALA NTHAWI YAMVULA MUTI MCHENGA NDI ZINYANSI ZAZAZA MUMA TUNEL NTHAWI YA DZUWA MUKUTI MADZI ACHEPA NDILITI POMWE. MUZAKHALE OPANDA VUTO?TIUZENI ZOONA OTHERWISE YOUR SERVICES ARE VERY POOR MWINA PADZIKO LOLONSE LAPANSI. PLIZ WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A ESCOM NANU MWANYANYA MA EXCUSE A BOZA MUKUNGOTHAIMA NYENGO IKAKHALA NTHAWI YAMVULA MUTI MCHENGA NDI ZINYANSI ZAZAZA MUMA TUNEL NTHAWI YA DZUWA MUKUTI MADZI ACHEPA NDILITI POMWE. MUZAKHALE OPANDA VUTO?TIUZENI ZOONAOTHERWISE YOUR SERVICES ARE VERY POOR MWINA PADZIKO LOLONSE LAPANSI. PLIZ WAKE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pakufunika kuchosako onse, MAGUYZ AKU ESCOM AKUJAILA HEAVY, TSIKU NDITSIKU BLACKOUT, MA BILL KUMABWERA OKWERA, KODI MANGOFUNA NDALAMA NTCHITO SIMUKUKWANITSA, NDIKUPEPHA A KAPITO MUONE BWINO BWINO NKHANIYI MUSAWASEKELERE AONONGA MALAWI, KUPMPHATIKIZAPO MA COMPANY AMAYIKO ENA SANGABWERE KUDZAPANGA BUSINESS KAMBA KAVUTOLI,
Nyasa Times, investigate what my colleague from Zobue Mozambique has told me today. He says, Zobue is using electricity from Malawi. He furhter said, their blackout is once a week on Thursday. Is this true?
Water levels are low during DPP rule only??? Kodi mu January sitinakhale masiku ambiri opanda magetsi kamba ka mavuto obwera chifukwa cha mvula yochuluka?
Iwe Mbwiye Kapito, Management Sabotage Ya Chani? Apa Ndiye Pakuwonetsa Kuti Alhomwe Inu Luntha Palibe. Management Yimapanga Magetsi? How Do You Expect Things To Improve When The Little Financial Resource Escom Is Generating Bwampini Is Looting.Vwampini Put A Board There Brimmed With Politicians Who Knows Nothing About Power Generation Or Administration.They Are There To Milk The Escom To Prop Up The Clueless Bwampini Adminstration You Shamelessly Supported And Voted For.Escom Needs Forex To Import Spare Parts, Equipment,Transformers Which Elsewhere Is Being Manufactured Localy.But Mbuye Wako Bwampini Quotalized Tertiary Education How Do You Expect A Country That Promotes Mediocrity To Develop.Kapena… Read more »
aKapito nso penapake muzilankhula ngat mukulankhula ndi anthu ozisata much of ulamuliro wa mai ndidali ku ntcheu long lakeshore koma ndidakhala ndikuzunzka ndi ma blackout simatha sibata ndye mukut chiyani.ndiku bt sindidakhalepo ndi black out for2dys.mumasusa njira yabwino escom idayenela kugulisidwa kut izipanga za kupsa after all singakwnise kupeleka mphamvu zot zigwirisidwe mu migodi yomwe tikuiyembekezera kuyambai.mumaopa kugulisa ma company koma Grain and milling ataigulisa pano ija ikuchitabwino.ndipo yalemba ntchito anthu kuposa nthawi idali yaboma.akapito khalani serious simunganene kut nthawiya jb idali bwino ndikukhulupilira kut ndaramanso zidaonongedwazomwe zikupangisa mavuto wa.tiyeni tiuzane zoona.