Government says it is returning “to the drawing board” to confront the country’s rising lightning-related deaths, with the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining outlining urgent steps to improve public safety.
Minister Jean Mathanga said recent incidents have exposed a dangerous gap in preparedness and the absence of basic protection measures.
Mathanga said Malawi still lacks a national lightning warning system, a tool she described as long overdue.
She noted that the ministry will begin exploring how such a system can be developed, saying it has now become a necessity rather than an option.
She added that the country also needs to prioritise the installation of lightning arresters, particularly on public buildings.
This, she said, will require collaboration with the Ministry of Transport and Public Works to ensure proper enforcement of building standards.
According to the minister, mapping high-risk lightning zones will be another critical step.
She observed that most incidents occur in six to seven districts dominated by hills and mountains, which naturally attract lightning strikes.
A formal hazard map, she said, would help guide targeted prevention efforts.
Mathanga also emphasised the need for intensified civic education, warning that many lightning deaths are preventable through simple behavioural changes.
Schools, hospitals and communities in high-risk districts will be prioritised for awareness campaigns.
She said some interventions, such as public education on where to seek shelter and what to avoid during storms, require minimal resources and can begin immediately.
With the rainy season already underway, Mathanga said her ministry plans to roll out messaging without delay.
While installing lightning arresters will require significant funds and may not be completed this season, Mathanga assured the public that the project is now firmly on the government’s agenda.
“We have to plan for it,” she said, “but for sure it will be taken on board.”
