Government not ready with report on Escom fire

The government says a report on the fire that gutted the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) headquarters in Blantyre last month is not yet ready.

This is contrary to what the authorities said that the report would be out two weeks ago. Minister of Energy Ibrahim Matola said yesterday the report is not ready.

“It’s an independent body that is carrying out the investigations and we do not want to interfere with their work. Let’s wait and after they finish, Malawians will be told,” said Matola.

According to him, the committee comprises people from several departments such as Fire, Blantyre City Council, Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (Mera), and others.

But the Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama) executive director John Kapito said yesterday, the delay is the business as-usual style Malawi is known for.

“It’s as if nothing happened and everything is quiet. Malawians should not be taken for granted by remaining silent on the matter which, as history tells, might die naturally,” said Kapito.

He claimed that government might know something about the fire; otherwise, it would have been in the forefront to push for the report.

“We knew from the beginning that this was not an accident, but deliberately set up to hide the corruption that is rampant there. That government is silent on the matter is not strange because they know what happened,” claimed Kapito.

Fire gutted Escom offices in Blantyre in October 2013 destroying an unspecified amount of property, including data.

Matola and Information Minister Brown Mpinganjira organiSed a press briefing where they announced the investigations into the matter.