By Isaac Salima:
Electricity users across the country have expressed their concerns regarding recent power outages, which they claim are hugely impacting their daily lives and businesses.
Reports indicate that many residents are facing prolonged blackouts, disrupting business operations. Spot checks in Blantyre and other cities have found a troubling increase in power outages.
In Ndirande Township, some residents reported being without power for two days.
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Macnight Madalo, who operates a barber shop in the area, expressed frustration over the lack of electricity, saying he is struggling to make ends meet for his family.
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“We have had no power since Tuesday. This affects my ability to earn a living, and I was relying on this week’s earnings to pay my children’s school fees.
“The crisis means my children will be sent back from school, or I will have to get loans to pay the school fees. I am not even sure I will find the money,” Madalo said Thursday.
Dickson Lameck, who runs a tyre fitting business, echoed the sentiments, adding that the absence of communication from the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) is causing anxiety among businesspeople who largely rely on electricity to operate.
“We have not received any warning about the outage. We have heard it might be due to windy weather, but we do not really know the real cause,” Lameck said.
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Further surveys by our reporters in other regions confirmed the power outage crisis and how it is impacting businesses such as those of barbers, butchers and beverage sellers, which heavily rely on electricity.
In Zomba, residents also reported frequent interruptions in their power supply.
Escom has acknowledged the problem, attributing it to acts of vandalism affecting its infrastructure.
“Some parts of the country are experiencing unstable power supply. This is due to the effects of vandalism, which has rendered our infrastructure susceptible to stormy weather conditions.
“This has resulted in infrastructure such as poles and conductors being damaged hence the nationwide increase in the faults of late,” a statement issued by the State power supplier reads.
Escom has since committed to addressing the faults “promptly”.
The power outages have also had a knock-on effect on water supply. In Blantyre, areas such as Chilomoni Township are experiencing severe water shortages.
A resident of the township, Mervis Lemani, described the situation as “extremely worrisome.”
“Since Monday, we have had either intermittent or no water supply at all. We are struggling to do household chores that require water and sanitation and hygiene are being affected,” Lemani said.
Blantyre Water Board (BWB) also confirmed in a statement that the water supply issues are a direct result of the power outages.
“Additionally, Chileka Pumping Station and our other substations within Blantyre have also been experiencing erratic power supply.
“These disruptions have significantly impacted our water supply system resulting in no inflows into our storage tanks. Consequently, most customers are now experiencing reduced water pressure or complete loss of water supply as tank levels continue to deplete,” BWB’s statement reads.
Malawi has recently enjoyed a stable electricity supply following the rehabilitation of Kapichira Hydropower Station, which was severely damaged by cyclone-induced flooding in early 2022.
The station adds some 130 megawatts (MW) to the national grid, bringing the total amount of installed power to around 500 MW, even though actual generation varies due to factors such as infrastructure challenges.
Meanwhile, Escom has started rationing power supply to its customers, particularly during peak evening hours, citing rising demand that exceeds the current capacity.
The power supplier recently disclosed that vandalism cost it K4 billion in the last two years in lost revenue and the replacement of distribution and transmission infrastructure.
