Former Minister attributes ESCOM problems to lack of planning

By Robert Kumwenda

Former Minister in the Dr Bakili Muluzi administration Zililo Qabaniso Chibambo has attributed the problems which the country’s utility body Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi (ESCOM (is facing to lack of planners.

He said the problems which ESCOM is facing are not new because they do happen every year and since we are facing issues of climate change the body needs to have good planners who can plan ahead by not looking on short term plan long term plans.

The electric utility body needs to have experts who can make good plans. I wonder why we are not looking for other sources of energy like thermal and what we are doing with coal which is available in both Northern and Southern Regions of Malawi, he said.

Chibambo who served as Minister of Energy and Natural Resources between 1995 and 1996 said as the way things are now the country is sinking because we already have economic problems and Malawi will remain the poorest country in the World.

He also stresses the need for government to enforce laws on farming to curb the malpractice of rampant cutting down of trees and farming activities on the edge of rivers.

Without generation of power we cannot develop now small scale industries are dying and companies are closing. Previously there were suggestions to tap power from Caborabassa dam l do not know where that issue ended, he said.

Government must ensure that those who are in charge at ESCOM know what they are doing because despite whatever is happening at ESCOM the blames goes back to the leadership.

He said we must all put our heads together to find a lasting solutions to electric and water woes which the country is going through.

The problems of electric and water have worsened in most urban areas of Malawi such that in other areas people do stay for days without power supply for days and some for weeks without water. The problems are running concurrently.