Cases of vandalism keeps worrying Energy Minister Ibrahim Matola
* They vandalised transformers and stole property at Nkhoma CCAP Mission in July; at Kamphata Trading Centre in August; Mlale Mission in Mitundu; Dzaleka in Dowa and Kunthembwe in Ntchisi — all just last month of October
Maravi Express
Despite warnings that tampering with Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) assets is an offence which contravenes Electricity Act of 2024 and attracts a 30-year jail term and with no option of paying a fine, unscrupulous people continue to vandalise the national power utility company’s infrastructure.
A recent case is of six people, have been arrested in Lilongwe on suspicion that they were behind the vandalism of 16 transformers in several locations of the capital city between July and November 2024.
Lilongwe Police Station spokesperson, Hastings Chigalu confirmed the arrest of Manuel Banda, Mustafa Wisdom Machemba, Chikumbutso Lameck, Jawadu Buleya, Yamikani Thambo and Yamikani Batani between November 7 and 11, 2024.
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Chigalu said Area 36 police, in collaboration with ESCOM security team, arrested the suspects in a joint raid of their houses and that during interrogation, apart from the latest incident they were arrested for, the suspects further revealed to have also vandalised ESCOM transformers and stole property at Nkhoma CCAP Mission in July; at Kamphata Trading Centre in August; Mlale Mission in Mitundu, Dzaleka in Dowa and Kunthembwe in Ntchisi — all in just last month of October.
Chigalu said the suspects appeared before the Lilongwe First Grade Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, November 12 to answer a charge of vandalism — an offence attracts a 30-year jail term with no option of paying a fine, according to Section 45(4)(b) of the Electricity Amendment Act of 2024.
Lilongwe First Grade Magistrate, Imran Phiri, ordered that the suspects be remanded at Maula Prison for 10 days pending the conclusion of investigations, including a transformer vandalism case of Mlale in Mitundu on November 6, 2024.
The six suspects are from different districts of origin with Manuel Banda from Kasichi Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Chulu in Kasungu, Thambo (Chikwasa Village, T/A Sawali, Balaka), Buleya (Bulika Village, T/A Sitola, Machinga), Lameck (Namale Village, T/A Mthiramanja, Mulanje), Machemba, Matozo Village, T/A Mthiramanja, Mulanje) and Batani (Chikwasa Village, T/A Sawali, Balaka).
On the morning of Sunday this week, November 10, a man was found electrocuted at Gravity Mall in Lilongwe City Centre in a suspected vandalism act gone wrong.
The body found in the transformer’s well secured spot
According to Lingadzi Police Station deputy public relations officer, Maria Kumwenda, a lifeless body of the man was found on at morning, suspected that he was electrocuted while cutting copper wires from an ESCOM transformer at the mall as the body was found lying next to a hacksaw and the wires cut from the transformer.
Vandalism of ESCOM infrastructure keeps being reported and include culprits being electrocuted in the process on many occasions and this is despite EWCOM’s continued condemnation of the malpractice that such vices affect service delivery, put lives at risk, and deprive the company of revenue needed to connect more customers.
Vandals masquerading as ESCOM employees caught in recent past
The power utility company has lost over K4 billion in the last two years due to cases of vandalism of its infrastructure and the figure includes costs of replacing transmission and distribution infrastructure and lost revenue.
ESCOM thus reminds the patriotic citizenry to report cases of vandalism to the nearest police station or by calling toll-free numbers 847 for TNM/Airtel and 80000847 for MTL.—Content by ESCOM public relations office; edited by Maravi Express
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