Another life was lost in Mitundu on the outskirts of Lilongwe. The sad event came as the woman who had just given birth had complications but staff failed to assist her, as there was a power outage.

Staff said had there been power, the woman could have been assisted there and then, and not to be referred to another hospital was a serious gamble.

It is unfortunate to lose a life just like that. Life is not a priviledge, it is a right and the unnecessary death could have been avoided.

This has happened at a time power outages have come as a norm. Having power to run affairs at home and businesses is as hard as seeking the Holy Grail.

Already, we are talking about heavy losses not only by industries but also for small and medium entreprises.

The other day, after a nationwide black-out, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Ibrahim Matola shed a tear or two during a press briefing. He wept that so many people died during that outage.

One would wonder, then, how many more people should die before power becomes a part of our lives?

As it is, we keep on hearing stories painting a picture of hope that soon and very soon, power will be back in every home and hamlet.

In the recent expression, the Electricity Generation Company of Malawi (Egenco) says 45 percent of the works at Kapichira have been completed. The promise here and now is that power will be restored by December.

It is, indeed, high time the dam at Kapichira was redesigned to avoid similar occurences in future. It is on record that the damage came with a cyclone.

While we are at it, the power utility supplier announced that it is illegal and that it would act on customers who are using their residential facilities to conduct businesses. In all fairness, how many people is Escom going to bring to book?

Instead of looking at ways of how it can increase its customer base and provide power all day everyday, Escom is busy going to unconventional means to make more money. Not so long ago, the corporation announced an imminent tarrif hike.

All Malawians need at the moment is power.

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