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President Bingu wa Mutharika on Wednesday launched the much-touted Mtwara Development Corridor in front of three fellow heads of state—President Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania, President Levi Mwanawasa of Zambia and President Joachim Chissano of Mozambique.
But the Malawi leader got a shock when power went off at the venue Capital Hotel in Lilongwe during the function.
Mutharika, who wore a black suit and earlier looked elated that the economic development initiative that started about a decade ago had reached its climax, delivered his 15-minute inaugural speech without being heard by nearly 80 percent of the delegates and guests that filled a high-white tent pitched outside the hotel.
“If it were the time of campaign I would have suspected sabotage,” the President joked at the start of his speech, presumably hoping that power would return shortly.
Energy and Mining Minister Davis Katsonga and Henry Mussa, Minister of Transport, were seen sprinting out of the tent to arrange for a stand-by generator. But there was none available.
Murmurs flew across the audience as Mutharika continued with his speech, urging foreign investors to establish businesses in the areas that fall under the Mtwara corridor to create job opportunities for the people.
Mtwara Development Corridor is an initiative of the governments of Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia with support from South Africa and aims at improving access to reliable and affordable power in the region, among other priorities.
“This is extremely embarrassing for our President. This should not happen at a time when we are launching something that intends to attract foreign investment,” said Lilongwe-based businessman Mumad Elias, as government officials panicked in vain to find alternative source of power.
Mussa, whose ministry coordinated the function, was forced to curtail the reading of a communiqué issued by the four presidents because noise from the audience and rain swallowed his voice.
“I am getting an indication that nobody is following what I am reading,” he said and abruptly closed the function for lunch, cancelling a press conference that was supposed to take place immediately after Mutharika’s speech.
“This is beyond me. I did my part,” remarked Mussa as the presidents and delegates passed through the corridor of the hotel in darkness. Hotel officials lit gas lamps minutes later and placed them in the highly decorated lobby.
Vice President Cassim Chilumpha was not amused either.
“ Phiri, zavuta apa (this is not on),” he jokingly told Katsonga.
“If it were in other countries the minister responsible would have resigned immediately,” one delegate commented.
Katsonga said in an interview he could not step down because the power failure was not a thing of his making.
According to Katsonga the blackout was national and caused by a technical fault at Nkula Falls power generation plant.
“I am very disappointed as a Malawian and minister [for energy]. This is the last thing we should expect at a function like this one,” the minister said adding that circumstances under which the power went off created fertile ground for speculation of sabotage.
“We’ll be pursuing this issue to see what really happened at Nkula Falls.”
Director of Communications and Public Relations for Le Meridien Hotels Stain Phiri said they wrote Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) to officially inform of the important function and the need for uninterrupted power.
According to him, the hotel’s stand-by generator broke down two months ago and they have not managed to source the spare part.
Management of Le Meridien Hotels has since issued an apology for the blackout.
“Le Meridien would like to apologise for the blackout experienced during The Mtwara Development Corridor official launch held at Le Meridien Capital,” says an advert flighted in the The Nation.
The function stared with pomp at about 10.10AM when outgoing Mozambican president Joachim Chissano, Tanzania and Zambia presidents Benjamin Mkapa and Levy Mwanawasa joined Mutharika for a photo session before delivering their speeches.
In his speech, Mutharika said that the success of Mtwara Development Corridor depends on the cooperation between the public and private sector in the four countries.
“No opportunity should, therefore, be lost to get together and join hands and participate fully in joint development programmes that will strengthen our positions in the global market,” he said.
“Our joint effort should be directed towards addressing the challenges of globalisation and seizing the opportunities generated by this corridor to consolidate our development programmes,” he added.
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