Power blackouts affect people in Mzimba

 People in Mzimba have expressed concern with the resurgence of power outages in the district, saying the development is affecting their day-to-day lives and businesses.

This comes after the district has in the recent days been experiencing prolonged power outages which have affected Mzimba Boma and surrounding areas of Jenda, Champhira, Manyamula, Edingeni, Embangweni and Mqoucha.

In an interview on Monday, one of the residents, Brian Mhango, who owns a welding and fabrication shop at Mzimba Boma, bemoaned the power outages.

“My business depends on electricity to operate. With these incessant blackouts, the operations are grounded to halt. I have seven workers who rely on this business and if we don’t make money it is a disaster,” he said.

Amity Ndhlovu, who runs a barbershop at the boma also said his life has been affected by the power outages.

He asked authorities to rectify the problem quickly for businesses to resume.

Luke Nkosi, a secondary school teacher at St. John Bosco Secondary School at Champhira, said they now spend two days without power.

Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) Mzimba District officer-in-charge Benjamin Chisela attributed the problem to fallen poles between Chikangawa and Raiply.

He also said a main transformer at Raiply, which supplies Mzimba Boma and other affected surrounding areas, has developed a fault.

“Last year, we also had the same problems. We are working to solve these problems,” said Chisela.

Mzimba Civil Society Organisation Network member Moses Nkhana said it was unfortunate that despite engaging Escom last year, the problem was persisting.

Between September and December last year, Mzimba also experienced prolonged power outages which forced Minister of Energy Ibrahim Matola to storm Mzimba District Escom office to demand answers