The Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) Limited has expressed concern over the growing attacks and hostility towards its staff members in Mangochi district.
Recently, four ESCOM staff members were assaulted in Mangochi Town, resulting in serious head injuries for one of them, Chipiliro White Banda.
The incident occurred when the ESCOM team entered a compound to install a meter and pull a direct service for a neighbor as part of the Malawi Electricity Access Project’s implementation. The compound owner, Yusuf, allegedly assaulted the staff members, including Banda, and ordered them to stop connecting electricity to his neighbor from the pole within his premises.
ESCOM Chief Operations Officer, Engineer Maxwell Mulimakwenda, visited the affected staff members and urged the public to provide a safe environment for ESCOM staff to operate.
“Please give our people a safe space and environment for them to operate. You will be making our job very difficult if you end up assaulting our people,” he lamented.
Mulimakwenda warned that denying assigned ESCOM staff access to premises is an offense that can attract a maximum jail term of 10 years and a K50 million fine, according to the Electricity Amendment Act of 2024.
Meanwhile, Mangochi Police Station has arrested Yusuf for assaulting Banda and his colleagues.
