* Four suspects at Sonda found melting stolen ESCOM wire to make aluminum pots
* The on-going worrying trend of vandalism of ESCOM equipment and assets led the Ministry of Energy to propose an amendment of the Electricity Act to help step up the fight against the vice
By Blessings Memena & Tracy Mtegha, MANA
Worrying rampant theft of equipment for government’s power utility company, Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) continues despite pleas to the public to stop the uncalled-for vandalism.
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Mzuzu Police have just arrested five people in Sonda for alleged theft of property belonging to ESCOM following a tip-off from ESCOM’s security officers who were on duty in the night of Monday at Mazamba in Chikangawa area.
Assistant public relations officer for Mzuzu Police Station, Rose Chipyola said the suspects were arrested on Tuesday after officers intercepted a motorcycle rider transporting property suspected to belong to ESCOM and the suspect managed to escape.
“The officers intercepted the rider who abandoned the motorcycle with ESCOM wireson it. They then reported the issue to Mchengautuba Police Unit where detectives through intelligence collection managed to arrest the rider.”
Chipyola added that later, police arrested four other suspects at Sonda after they were suspected of melting stolen ESCOM wire to make aluminum pots: “The suspects are currently in police custody for further investigation and had their property confiscated.”
The suspects are Manson Simbeye (30) of Namapanje Village; Raymond Simbeye (35) of Bulamawe Village both from Traditional Authority (TA) Wenya in Chitipa District; Shadreck Sambo (20) from Mwaphoka Village, TA Kabunduli in Nkhata Bay; Patrick Mpepu (29) of Maholya Village and Emmanuel Bamusi (42) of Mukumpha Village — both under TA Nkhumba in Phalombe District.
This on-going worrying trend of vandalism of ESCOM equipment and assets — such as transformers, oil, conductors, stay wires, and poles led the Ministry of Energy to propose an amendment of the Electricity Act to help step up the fight against the vice.
A worried Minister of Energy Ibrahim Matola inspecting vandalized ESCOM power line last year
The amended Bill was passed in Parliament two weeks ago in cognizance that the vice is tantamount to economic sabotage and undermines the government’s efforts to ensure that the manufacturing industry has access to enough electricity to aid production.
Early this month, ESCOM’s Chief Operations Officer, Maxwell Mulimakwenda disclosed that from December last year to March this year, the company has lost electricity equipment worth K14 million in Chitipa alone — and he also called for need to speed up with regulating the scrap metal industry which is the contributing factor.
He said this during a stakeholders’ meeting where ESCOM was explaining reasons behind the frequent blackouts in the district, saying rampant vandalism of electricity supply equipment are some of the major causes of frequent power outages.
According to the Bill, Section 45 (1) of the amended Act reads: ‘A person who carries on in any manner an activity for the supply of electricity in contravention of this Act, or fails to carry out any order or decision of the Authority or a licensee made or given under this Act, commits an offence and is, upon conviction, liable to a fine of K100,000,000 and imprisonment for twenty years’.
Section 45 (2a and 2b) adds that any person ‘who connects electricity to premises without written authorization of the licensee or disturbs or tampers with any electricity meter or other measuring instrument or apparatus commits an offence and is, upon conviction, liable to a fine of K100,000,000 and imprisonment for ten years’.
Section 45 (4) provides a non-fineable penalty of 30 years for vandalism and possession of equipment stolen from a licensee, the section reads:
(a) if found in possession of equipment stolen from a licensee; or
(b) damages, destroys, or vandalizes any electricity installation equipment or apparatus, commits an offence and is, upon conviction, liable to imprisonment for 30 years.
Section 45 (5) provides enhanced penalty of MK150,000,000 and 25 years imprisonment if a licensee’s employee or former employee is involved in the illegal connection or meter tamper.
Vandals masquerading as ESCOM employees
The Section states: ‘Without prejudice to the right of a licensee to recover for illegal consumption of electricity, including costs associated with such recovery, a person, being an employee or former employee of a licensee, who:
(a) connects or assists a person to connect, electricity without authorization of the licensee; or
(b) disturbs or tampers or assists a person to disturb or to tamper, with an electricity meter or any other measuring instrument or apparatus, commits an offence and is, upon conviction, liable to a fine of K150,000,000 and to imprisonment for twenty-five years.—Additional reporting by Maravi Express
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