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| National |
| Bingu blames blackouts on leaders |
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by
Emmanuel Muwamba, 25 November 2004
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11:27:28
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Bingu wa Mutharika yesterday accused some unnamed leaders of paying some youths to sabotage power in the country thereby undermining his government’s efforts to develop the country.
The President said it is criminal to sabotage power which in turn deprives the nation of investment
“This is done deliberately so that they can say Bingu’s government has failed. I have an idea of who is doing it. They take money, pay people and cause sabotage. I call them criminals and they are shameless. You are also committing murder, someone might die in hospital from the sabotage acts,” he said.
Mutharika was speaking at Nkula football ground in Blantyre where Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) employees and people from the neighbourhood gathered after the President had finished visiting Nkula Hydro Station.
He requested the civil society, churches, non-governmental organisations and well wishers to condemn these leaders.
“Are they leaders? The nation should condemn them,” fumed the President on a hot afternoon..
He stated that government is investigating the matter and if “these people are caught they will be prosecuted, stay behind bars and the nation will move forward”.
Minister of Mines, Natural Resources and Environment Davis Katsonga told the gathering that Escom has strategic plans on quality and supply of electricity “but there is a new phenomenon which Escom is now encountering which is not planned for in the strategic plan, and which is threatening smooth power distribution and supply.”
“That threat is vandalism of Escom’s assets such as transformers, overhead lines and transmission towers. The threat is becoming so big that between April 1 and September 30 this year alone, Escom lost 104 transformers valued at over K32 million ($296,296) due to vandalism.
“Just last week, Escom lost six towers worth K24 million near Manjawira on a line from Nkula which feeds Balaka, Liwonde, Ntcheu, Mlangeni, Dedza and parts of Lilongwe Old Town,” he continued.
He said Escom is forced to replace the vandalised items at a huge cost.
“Indeed the economic sabotage is so huge that we estimate it to be more than 10 times the direct loss to Escom in putting place strategies to combat the threat through civic education campaigns and rewards to informants,” said Katsonga.
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