Amid persistent power supply woes, the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) is moving to reinstate staff who were demoted or redeployed during a recent internal shakeup, after concerns that the changes weakened critical operations.
A leaked directive dated April 19 2026, and signed by Escom chief executive officer William Kaipa, instructs executives to identify employees whose redeployment or demotion led to loss of essential skills or reduced efficiency, and to reinstate them to their previous substantive roles and grades when justified.
The directive imposed a moratorium on the functional review that triggered the shake‑up, noting that it caused misalignment between roles and competencies, loss of technical expertise, and declining efficiency in fault management and network response.
It highlights that experienced personnel were lost from the System Control Centre, undermining real‑time operations and increasing customer complaints.
“Immediate compliance is required. The directive is issued as an urgent measure to restore operations stability and service delivery performance,” the directive states.
Beyond reinstatements, the directive orders an immediate review of all staffing changes affecting Escom’s System Control Centre and an urgent restoration of experienced personnel to ensure effective system monitoring and stable operations.
Critical areas, including the centre operations, faults management, network operations and customer service are to be prioritised in the realignment.
A task team has been established to review all outcomes of the functional review, identify misalignments and critical skills gaps, and recommend a sustainable structure.
The team has 14 days to complete its work. The human resources and legal departments must validate all reinstatements.
“All managers are required to engage affected employees immediately, communicate clearly and restore confidence and focus on service delivery,” the directive reads. “Non-compliance or delays in implementation will be addressed accordingly.”
Asked about the fate of current position holders and whether the move would create duplicate roles, Escom spokesperson Pilirani Phiri said in a written response on Wednesday that the directive was intended strictly for internal administrative purposes to guide an ongoing organisational realignment.
“As this process is still being finalised internally, we are not in a position to provide further details at this stage. Should there be any outcomes that necessitate public disclosure, we will proactively communicate to the media,” he said.
Escom staff union secretary general William Mnyamula on Wednesday said they appreciate Escom’s efforts to address concerns from staff who were previously demoted or redeployed.
“The situation demonstrates a commitment to fairness and restoring staff morale, which is vital for maintaining a productive and motivated workforce,” he said.
Mnyamula added: “The union remains committed to working collaboratively with executive management to ensure any changes are conducted transparently and with the best interests of all employees in mind. We believe open communication and mutual respect will continue to be key in fostering a positive working environment at Escom.”
Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency executive director Willy Kambwandira on Friday said any realignment process within a State-owned enterprise must be guided by clear, transparent and merit-based criteria.
“Reinstating previously demoted or redeployed staff without publicly communicated justification risks undermining trust in management decisions and reinforces a culture of patronage rather than professionalism,” Kambwandira said.
He added that if prior demotions were politically motivated, reversing them without an independent review perpetuates a cycle of arbitrariness.
Kambwandira called for an open, accountable process anchored in documented performance assessments, independent oversight and stakeholder engagement to ensure that human resource decisions strengthen institutional credibility rather than erode it.
