Residents of Mafinga District in Muchinga Province have appealed to the government to connect the region to the national electricity grid.
They say electricity supply from Malawi is unstable as power outages usually last up to 5 days in some cases more than necessary.Speaking to the Zambia News and Information Services, Geoffrey Ngambi, a business man of Thendele, has described the latest power outage that has dragged on for 9 days now as not good for business.
Mr. Ngambi lamented that his business and many others have been negatively affected especially perishable goods among others such as barbershops and salons.
“We lose a lot of money as business owners especially for us dealing in perishables, because in many cases they go bad, so we just throw them away,” He Lamented.
Mafinga District Commissioner, Boyd Kaonga said his office has engaged officials from the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) to come up with a lasting solution to power challenges in Mafinga.
And Muchinga ZESCO Regional Manager, Bridget Sianthika has described the power outages in the district as regrettable.
Ms. Sianthika said that the problem is not with ZESCO but with the Electricity Supply Company of Malawi (ESCOM), adding that ZESCO is experiencing challenges with the power line that supplies Mafinga.
To hell with this. The electricity is produced in Southern Province. The lakes and dams that produce it displaced people from their historical homelands, without compensation. These people need to get electricity immediately, before anyone anywhere else does.