Minister of Energy Ibrahim Matola claims that the previous administration of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and former President Peter Mutharika are responsible for incessant blackouts.
Speaking yesterday at a press briefing in Lilongwe, Matola said the DPP which left government two years ago plunged the electricity utility companies into a mess and now the companies, Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi and Electricity Generation Company (EGENCO), are failing to provide adequate electricity to Malawians.
According to Matola, DPP was forcing ESCOM to use its vehicles to ferry party supporters to political rallies and provide free fuel to politicians.
He added that due to political interference, ESCOM found itself procuring items which it did not need.
Matola said these malpractices have led to the reduction of national power production from 444 mega wats to 235 megawatts currently.
Speaking at the same press briefing, Minister of Information and Digitilization Gospel Kazako said the unbundling of ESCOM into three companies – ESCOM, EGENCO and Power Market Limited – is one of the factors which have contributed to the eight-hour blackouts Malawians are curently facing.
“The unbundling of ESCOM has unleashed all these inefficiencies and persistent blackouts in the country. We need to do due diligence on the merits and demerits of the unbundling and find out what is actually happening in the energy sector,” Kazako said.
Meanwhile, the Chakwera administration is banking on the rehabilitation of Kapichira Power Station as a solution to the persistent blackouts. The power station repair works are expected to be completed in December.
The pointing of fingers at the DPP administration comes years after Chakwera, during presidential election campaign, told Malawians that his administration will “eradicate blackouts with no room for excuses.”
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Firstly why has it taken tonse alliance over 2 years to sort out problems at escom and egenco? Secondly it was during PP where escom house got burnt and Matola was there but did not cry. Why cry now?