By Monica Tambala

Minister of Energy-Matola inspecting site

Lilongwe, MANA: Following the arrest of a 26-year-old Nevas Chimphanje for allegedly vandalizing Electricity Supply Corporation (ESCOM) property worth K9.8 Million, Malawians took to social media to condemn the recent mushrooming of scrap metal dealers as one of the reasons for a hike in vandalism of the company’s property.

Writing on Malawi Police Service Facebook page, some Malawians attributed the increase in ESCOM property theft to the high number of unregistered scrap metal dealers and ESCOM’s strategy which allows customers to purchase their own materials for the provision of electricity connections.

“These mushrooming scrap metal dealers are adding to the increased theft of cables. If the culprit were to be properly asked as to where they are going to sell the cables, it would be scrap metal dealers,

There has to be means to regulate and register these scrap metal dealers because they are all over even in residential areas,” commented Eremia Phiri.

“The other problem is with Escom, in the past, you would not easily find these connection wires because it was only found with ESCOM but after they allowed everyone to purchase their own materials when they need, they gave these thieves businesses. Where would they have sold the wires if it was back in the day?” lamented Al Shaun Antonio.

Another Comment reads; “The only mistake that ESCOM did is to liberalise the buying and selling of these wires which was then, done solely by them. We understand it was done to relieve the pressure that was there due to high demand of electricity consumers but it was a great mistake,

Now it will be tough to trace who is doing clean business of the items and perpetrators, I wish it was reversed. It is now close to five months since a similar case happened in our area and we are required to buy the wires for them to fix the problem,” commented Aubrey Kabenu.

Among other comments, many of the people pleaded with the Malawi Police Service to plead for a stiff punishment to deter would be offenders.

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