President Peter Mutharika is still blaming past governments for persistent blackouts rocking the country.
Mutharika’s latest attack on previous administrations came on Monday when he launched the construction of 60 megawatts solar plant by JCM Matswana Solar Energy at Kanzimbe in Salima.
Mutharika said that he is concerned with the energy crisis rocking that country and he blamed past governments for the challenge.
“I am concerned with the problems in the energy sector because it is affecting everything. This is why government is working hard to ensure that more investments in the sector are done,”
“The problem with energy sector is due to ignorance that the previous governments had towards the sector in the last 50 years, but our government has lined up a number of investments some of which will involve the private sector while others will be Public Private Partnership,” Mutharika said.
On his part, Minister of Energy, Mines and Natural Resources, Aggrey Masi said overdependence on Shire River as a source of hydroelectricity and lack of plans by previous governments to develop the energy sector have contributed heavily to the current blackouts.
“The current administration has worked hard to ensure that these problems are history and the major undertaking towards boosting the sector were the review of the energy policy where among others we have opened for energy mix and allowed the private sector to invest in energy,” said Masi.
“Our new energy policy will allow for more players in the sector who will produce energy from various sources to participate.”
Masi revealed that government will come up with short, medium and long term measures to end blackouts.
“The short term measure is the use of generators, and power purchase from Mozambique and Zambia, while medium term includes the completion of Kam’mwamba and Mpatamanga electricity sites and the long-term measure will include discussions with Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania on power interconnection,” said Masi.
JCM Matswana is the first private company to invest in solar energy in the country.
