Tuesday’s by-elections have seen some residents enjoying a week free of blackouts in Malawi’s capital city, Lilongwe.
According to a snap survey that Malawi24 conducted, some areas where by-elections will be conducted on Tuesday have not experienced power cuts for almost a week now.
This publication visited Lilongwe City South East where electricity blackouts are no longer an issue ahead of Tuesday’s by-elections.
Malawi24 caught up with residents of the area who said that it seems like blackouts in Malawi are politically motivated.
Brenda Maliten, a resident in Area 23 told Malawi24 that it has now been a week of power all day unlike in the past when people were experiencing incessant blackouts.
Maliteni said that it is impossible to claim that the problem has been fixed ahead of the by-elections but authorities are doing this deliberately to paint a good image of the current government.
“It is strange that blackouts have become history ahead of elections. Why is this not happening in all areas but only in this area? I am sure that politics is really driving affairs of this country as long as electricity is concerned,” she told Malawi24.
Malawi24 also visited areas like Likuni and Chinsapo where power cuts are rampant. For example, in Likuni people have electricity only in odd hours most times unlike in elections areas where they are enjoying consistent power supply.
Lilongwe City South East constituency is one of the areas that will hold by-elections on Tuesday, 17 October, 2017.
