
* As three more culprits are found and arrested in possession of ESCOM electrical conductor wires in the Lower Shire
* Two found with 200m-long conductor wire in Chikwawa, one with three bags of aluminum wire in Nsanje
* In under a week and barely after a few days when another incident in Lilongwe when a Chinese national was arrested in possession of 40 bags of stolen copper wires
* Amounting to approximately 18 tonnes — suspected to have been stolen from various ESCOM sites
Analysis by Duncan Mlanjira
It seems the maximum 30-year jail term with no option of paying a fine for vandalism of Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) assets — as per the Electricity Amendment Act of 2024 — is not acting as a deterrent as enemies of progress are still carrying on with the vice.
In barely over a week, after a Chinese national and three Malawian accomplices were arrested in possession of 40 bags of stolen copper wires amounting to approximately 18 tonnes, Police in Chikwawa have arrested Lyford Godoyi and Alex Snart on Monday, January 20, for being found with 200m-long electrical conductor wire, suspected to have been vandalised and stolen from an ESCOM site.

Lyford Godoyi and Alex Snart arrested on Monday

Naison Samuel on January 11
This has been reported by ESCOM’s public relations office, that also indicated that on January 11, Police in Nsanje arrested 18-year-old Naison Samuel at Galafa Village for being found in possession of three bags of aluminum conductor wire, also suspected of being stolen from ESCOM.
The ESCOM report quotes Chikwawa Police Station spokesperson, Dickson Matemba as saying the law enforcers arrested Godoyi and Snart as they attempted to sell the 200m conductor wire at the Boma.
The suspects — 43-year-old Godoyi (from Chagambatuka Village) and 45-year-old Snart (from Mwafumbi, both in Sub Traditional Authority Chiputula in Chikwawa) — are thus expected to appear in court to answer separate charges of being found in possession of stolen ESCOM equipment and vandalising.
Both offences attract a maximum 30-year jail term with no option of paying a fine as according to the Electricity Amendment Act of 2024, that was amended last year to deter people from vandalising the public assets.

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The Chikwawa police spokesperson, Matemba thus urges community members to refrain from stealing ESCOM assets as it affects service delivery such as for the health, education, security and the business sectors.
ESCOM reports that vandalism and theft of its power distribution equipment is a major problem in Chikwawa and quotes Chikwawa Police as assuring that, in conjunction with community policing forums, they are trying their best to curb the malpractice.
In all cases that the police arrest such culprits, it is the same appeal that is being made for the culprits to refrain from the vice, but it continues as if the maximum 30-year jail term — with no option of paying a fine — is a stroll in the park.
It was disheartening last week when ESCOM reported the involvement of the Chinese national, identified as Xu Hongxiang, as being part of the syndicate alongside the Malawian — Eliko Frackson, Frezer Crement and Yamala Lameck.

The Chinese national and his Malawian accomplices with the haul of ESCOM copper wires

Two truck loads of vandalised wires found at the Chinese national’s warehouse
It followed a tip of illegal activities at the Chinese national’s warehouse where upon a police and ESCOM security raid, 40 bags of stolen of copper wires were recovered, approximately weighing 18 tonn
Upon interrogation, the Malawian accomplices revealed Xu Hongxiang was buying the wires at K15,000 per kilogramme and with over 18 tonnes of the confiscated goods, the Chinese national was to going to make a huge fortunes — that also goes with a substantial financial loss to ESCOM.
While deputy national police spokesperson, Harry Namwaza was quoted by ESCOM PR office assuring that they have stepped up efforts to combat vandalism targeting public assets — such as in Lilongwe of theft of traffic lights, road signs and interlocking blocks paved on pedestrians sidewalks — Malawians are of the view that the law enforcement should target buyers of such materials.

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Journalist Mgeme Kalilani hinted that we Malawians are accomplices to these thefts and vandalism acts, saying at government law enforcement level, it is a known fact of the operations of unregulated street hardware and welding shops “whose main source of supply is stolen goods”.
“We pretend we dont know,” he responded on Facebook when the public bemoaned vandalism of Lilongwe solar-powered street lights. “We as citizens go and buy these stolen items [such as] solar lights or products fabricated from [stolen metals] — hoes, axes, gates etc, willingly and happily — supporting the thieving industry.
“When law enforcers apprehend these vandals, our courts or police grant them bail in no time — it’s their constitutional right, we agree — they happily return to the hoods to continue the vandalism. Often times than not their cases end at bail. Vandalism is their business.”
This is true to some extent, to which journalist Herbert Chiyambi Chandilanga suggested that — while there was need to sensitise the public to report cases of vandalism or those suspected to be in possession of stolen public property — an offer of a monetary incentive through a tip-offs anonymous information system can spur them into action.
Such a platform will have the public watching over one another, checking on households and warehouses suspected of being involved in illegal activities, just as the tip the police and ESCOM led to the Chinese national being nabbed as an end user.
“We are working closely with ESCOM and other affected institutions to ensure that individuals involved in vandalising, stealing, or trading stolen items are brought to justice” is always what the police say as Namwaza is quoted as saying by ESCOM after the arrest of Xu Hongxiang.
It is also worth noting that Namwaza took cognizance that the rise in vandalism is due to the availability of lucrative markets for the stolen materials and further reiterated his call for “all Malawians to report any suspicious activities involving ESCOM property to the police”.
Chandilanga’s suggestion for the tipstip-offs anonymous system should be considered for the public to be incentivised and should never be brought to an end in order to inculcate a deep sense of ownership over public infrastructure.

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