Escom House to be demolished
The government has finally recommended that Escom House, which housed Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) main offices, be demolished because the fire that gutted the building caused extensive damage.
Escom House, which is situated along Haile Selassie Road in Blantyre, caught fire four years ago.
Both the government and Escom have confirmed the development but it is not known when the project will begin and how much it will cost.
Spokesperson in the Ministry of Energy, James Chakwera, said a Department of Buildings (DoB) report shows that the damage to the building was irreparable; hence, the recommendation that the building should be demolished.
“DoB meanwhile awaits further instructions from the client on whether to undertake Bills of Demolition exercise, assist in identifying consultants to carry out design and supervision of any proposed development, or any other tasks [in which] the client might require the assistance or involvement of DoB,” he said.
Escom Public Relations Manager, George Mituka, said the organisation will demolish the building according to recommendations but could not say how much it will cost until the consultant’s evaluation.
He said: “The project will begin depending on the recommendations of the consultants. Escom will now float a tender for the required works.”
Escom House was gutted by fire in October 2013. The cause of the fire raised suspicions as it coincided with pressure from civil society organisations for the parastatal to be probed over the purchase of a fleet of vehicles worth over K1.4 billion.
Several investigations were instituted on the cause of the fire but, in 2014, government said it received conflicting findings.
Up to now, the nation does not know how much was lost through the fire and what exactly caused it. During former president Joyce Banda’s era, government released a report which indicated that there was no foul play.
A vibrant writer who gives a great insight on hot topics and issues
