Malawi: Traditional Leaders in Southern Region Vow Stronger Action Against Electricity Infrastructure Vandalism

Traditional authorities in Malawi’s Southern Region have committed to mobilising communities to curb the escalating vandalism of electricity infrastructure, which is placing severe financial and operational strain on the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM).

The pledge was made on 24 November 2025 at Bvumbwe in Thyolo District during an ESCOM-led stakeholder engagement attended by traditional leaders, Malawi Police Service representatives, area development committees, and community policing forums from the areas of Senior Chief Bvumbwe, Senior Chief Maggie, and Senior Chief Ngomano.

Speaking on behalf of Senior Chief Bvumbwe, David Ronchiwa emphasised collective responsibility:
“We will intensify sensitisation so that our people treat ESCOM infrastructure as their own. Vandalism is reversing the development gains of our communities. Protecting these assets is protecting our own progress.”

ESCOM’s Chief Public Relations and Communication Officer, Pilirani Phiri, welcomed the commitment and revealed that the Southern Region alone recorded 26 vandalism incidents in the past six months, resulting in replacement costs of approximately MK3 billion for transformers, conductors, and cables.

“These acts are diverting scarce resources from network expansion and electrification programmes into endless repairs,” Phiri stated. “More critically, tampering with live lines and leaving exposed wires creates life-threatening hazards, especially with the onset of the rainy season.”

The corporation urged communities to immediately report loose or fallen equipment rather than attempting to handle it themselves and reiterated safe practices during the session.

The Bvumbwe meeting forms part of ESCOM’s nationwide anti-vandalism campaign aimed at reducing infrastructure sabotage—one of the leading causes of prolonged and frequent power outages across Malawi. The utility is increasingly relying on the influence of traditional leaders and community structures to foster ownership and deter criminal acts that undermine national electrification efforts.