Thieves Vandalize ESCOM Transformer In Zomba

It has been 5 months since people of Onga village T/A Chikowi in Zomba district saw electricity lights as the only   transformer planted in the village was vandalized by unknown thieves.

Frank Tsoka, a villager in Onga said the problem of electricity in the village has affected a lot of people even those with businesses.

“ We walk up one morning just to find out the transformer is down, when i say down i mean on the floor without the wires inside and some of the wires on the poles, meaning that the ones who stole them were not ordinary people but professional thieves”, Tsoka explained

According to him, people in the village are suffering especially women since they walk along distance find a maize meal.

Speaking on behalf of ESCOM an officer who opted for anonymity said, it is not the fault of ESCOM that the people in the village have stayed this long without electricity.

“This problem has affected a lot people in most parts of the district and other districts as well but what i can say is that, buying the transformers is very expensive and needs to be budgeted and planned before starting the work, as i have already said the transformers were stolen in many areas and we need to buy more transformers not just one”, he explained.

The problem of stealing ESCOM wires has affected a lot of districts in Malawi to the extent that the Corporation has to spend billions in order to fix the transformer problems in the country.