By Aliko Munde

Chitipa, April 7, Mana: Chief Operations Officer for Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM), Maxwell Mulimakwenda, says lack of maintenance on the 33 KV line from Karonga to Chitipa and rampant vandalism of electricity supply equipment are some of the major causes of frequent power outages in Chitipa District.

Mulimakwenda said this on Friday during a stakeholders’ meeting, where ESCOM officials were explaining the reasons behind the frequent blackouts in the district.

“Scrap metal industry is fueling vandalism of our electricity supply equipment. From December last year to March this year, we have lost electricity equipment worth K14 million in Chitipa alone.

“There is need for the government to speed up with regulating the industry as one way of reducing the malpractice,” Mulimakwenda said.

He however said efforts are being made to solve the problem of frequent power cuts in the district with short, medium and long term solutions.

Mulimakwenda said ESCOM is going to intensify maintenance on the Karonga-Chitipa power line by erecting new poles to replace the current ones which he said were rotten.

He disclosed that ESCOM has entered into a framework agreement with Rapidly Malawi Limited to supply wooden poles to the electricity utility body.

“With the framework agreement, we hope to intensify maintenance works of replacing rotten poles with new wooden poles and Karonga-Chitipa power line will be a priority because of its uniqueness as it is the only power line supplying electricity to Chitipa,” he said.

He also said that another solution is to create a second supply line to Chitipa through Rumphi because ESCOM has got 150 km line from Chitipa-Nthalire and there is also another supply from Bwengu to somewhere in Nyika.

Chairperson for Civil Society Organizations in Chitipa, Patrick Ziba, thanked ESCOM management for coming to explain to Chitipa residents on frequent power outages and expressed hope that the corporation will implement what it has promised.