The Southern African Power Pool (Sapp) has developed energy infrastructure security framework to tackle vandalism at regional level amid growing concerns of hooliganism-linked revenue losses among member utilities.
Sapp Coordinating Committee executive director Stephen Dihwa said in an interview on Thursday that all 12 Southern African Development Community (Sadc) countries are grappling with rising costs of vandalism of energy infrastructure despite individual efforts to contain the vice.
Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) Limited is currently losing about K3 billion to vandalism annually while South African power utility firm Eskom reportedly lost 221 rand million (about K22 billion) between April 2024 to February 2025.
Similarly, Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority has incurred losses of critical infrastructure valued at $24 million (K42 billion) due to vandalism since 2019 while the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation lost 25 million Zambian kwacha (about K2.3 billion) to vandalism in 2025.
The worsening vandalism cases within the region continue despite individual member States intensifying efforts to curb the vice through imposing tough laws that include custodial sentences of between 25 and 30 years to convicted offenders.
Dihwa said the magnitude of vandalism is derailing efforts to strengthen transmission within the region, as such, the bloc is determined to come up with regional strategies.
He said: “We are aware that there is a lot of vandalism of electricity infrastructure and we are looking at strategies that can be applied commonly throughout the countries and how we can work hand-in-hand with security agents in different countries under the Sadc ambrella to address vandalism.”
Dihwa said the infrastructure security strategy will be key to ensure safety of energy equipment regarding transmission as it plans to facilitate a financing facility that will bring transmission infrastructure into the region.
Escom board director Welford Sabola, in an interview on Thursday, described infrastructure security as one of its four priorities, stressing that collaboration with neighbouring countries is critical to protecting high-voltage infrastructure from the rising threat of vandalism.
He said: “Escom is grappling with the problem, losing an estimated K3 billion every year due to direct replacement costs and lost revenue.
“Protecting transmission infrastructure remains critical to ensuring reliable electricity supply and the stability of the regional power network.”
Speaking at the opening of Sapp Executive Committee in Lilongwe last week, Chief Secretary to the Government Justin Saidi said there is need for the bloc to prioritise strategies that combat vandalism both at national and regional levels.
Said Saidi: “Vandalism remains one of the biggest setbacks for Escom. Sapp’ has to ensure that security is guaranteed, especially now when Malawi-Mozambique Power Interconnector is expected to roll out in the second quarter.”
Former Escom chief executive officer Kandi Padambo said in an interview on Thursday that it is not easy to deal with vandalism and theft of power infrastructure as some of the people involved in the malpractice may have some knowledge of Escom infrastructure and how it works.
In Malawi, under the Electricity Act of 2024, any person who damages, destroys, or vandalises any electricity installation equipment or apparatus, commits an offence and is, upon conviction, liable to imprisonment for 30 years.
Section 45 (5) provides an enhanced penalty of K150 million and 25 years imprisonment if a licensee’s employee or former employee is involved in the illegal connection or meter tampering.
Enacted in mid-2024, the stiffer punishment seem to act as a deterrent as many people who have been caught vandalising Escom infrastructure and being found in possession of equipment, have been slapped with maximum penalties.
In September 2024, a man identified as Kashoni Kasitomu was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for vandalising Escom infrastructure.
