Power all day, party all night!

Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) has finally succumbed to public and consumer rights pressure and changed it’s slogan from Power All Day, Every Day to Towards Power All Day, Every Day. A rarity in Malawian corporate history? Can’t really tell being in a society that rarely takes service providers to task for poor service.

So what does this change mean? To me it practically means nothing. Escom board chair Davies Katsonga said, and we have heard it all before, that once Kapichira and Tedzani II power plants are up an extra 40 megawatts (or there about) of power will be added to the power grid and reduce, if not eliminate, power shortages. I however take issue with that assertion. Currently there are many households in the country without power and not for dislike of that source of energy. It is because Escom simply just can’t supply! I tend to believe that the extra 40 megawatts may go someway in addressing current usage problems but does not take into account the currently unconnected and those still constructing.

I have argued before on this blog (New Year, same old power problems) that Malawians need to look to other sources of power like solar, bio-gas and possibly wind. Others have argued for nuclear power. My suggestion may be crazy since they are not backed up by any research whatsoever but imagine if all factories in the country used part of their huge roofing surface areas to install solar panels for lighting purposes within their facilities and fed the excess to neighbours? Imagine if every new household was encouraged to install solar water heaters that would have been either subsidized or been untaxed by government? How about if commercial structures used either natural air conditioning methods or some other natural cooling methods? For the amount of investment being put into factories and commercial structures, a solar investment is not too much to ask for and neither should a subsidized geyser for a residential property. If everyone made small changes like these, we could improve the current situation.

The other issue that seems to dog Escom is it 2008 K80 million end of year party. For arguments sake let us say that the corporation has 5,000 employees. This would translate that a whooping K16,000 was spent per head for this party. Now unless each employee was treated to a dish of caviar and a bottle of the finest French bubbly, the figure just does not add up. I have always had my doubts that all that money was spent on Christmas crackers. Don’t ask me what my suspicions are as am not about to reveal them.

So this year Escom has indicated that it will go ahead and organize yet another end of year party, much to the outrage of certain sections of the public. I personally feel every institution needs a little celebration and staff networking and parties are one of the best ways to achieve this. After all all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy! Let them celebrate but this time with locally produced sea food and beverages – as tax payers we won’t accept another outrageously expensive gig!

Gomani's last dance

Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani IV is dead. It was only two days ago that we danced Ngoma together in Bawi.

Retired Colonel Alex Kanjedza Gomani became the new Ngoni paramount chief in mid 2008 to replace his father the late Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani III who died in 2006.

Rest in peace.

Ngoni Festival or Ngoma

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending Ngoma in Bawi. It's a traditional Ngoni Festival held once every two years and features traditional ngoni dances from Ntcheu, Dedza, Mzimba and Mozambique to mention a few. The function is organised by the Katola family.

The guest of honour was Inkosi ya Makosi Gomani IV, Paramount Chief of Ntcheu Maseko Ngoni's. Also present were Traditional Authority Kwataine, Traditional Authority Makwangwala, First Deputy Speaker Jones Chingola, Peoples Progressive Movement president Mark Katsonga Phiri and RBM deputy governor Mary Nkosi just to mention a few. A few pictures from the event below. A video to follow soon.

Kanengo lost the plot

He has lived up to his word. President Mutharika has expelled, in his words, four colonialists for working against him and his governments development agenda. Bosses at Limbe Leaf Tobacco Company, Alliance One Limited and Premium TAMA Tobacco have been sent packing for consistently offering lower than agreed prices for tobacco. Opinion is divided on whether deportation was the best approach to follow.

It is a known fact that in recent years buyers have offered less than satisfactory prices for leaf and this year it has been made worse by the fact that buyers are rejecting good quality leaf opting to scramble for the poorer quality. Why they are doing this remains a mystery. It is also alleged that tobacco firms buy leaf at rock bottom prices, sell it at a high profit and at the end of it all they get hefty salaries and big bonuses. In one persons words, they live in opulence at the expense of the poor farmer. Recently there have been allegations that Limbe Leaf provided the Malawi Congress Party with millions of kwachas in donations to run it’s 2009 elections campaign with the sole aim of getting Mutharika out of the way, their sworn enemy. Limbe Leaf denied it. There have also been other allegations, true and imaginary, including illegal externalisation of funds.

President Mutharika had repeatedly warned the buyers he would take stern action, a warning that probably fell on deaf ears in recent times. But the whip has been cracked and four families had 24 hours to pack up and go. ‘They were warned’ was phrase on the proponents lips.

But are the expulsions all it will take for farmers to get better prices at the floors? Yesterday it was reported that there were better prices on offer although farmers said the prices were only slightly better, zasinthako pang’ono, while the news anchor said the prices have changed drastically. Which ever was the case government can say they have been vindicated. But people tend to react out of fear. Next week we could very well see prices dropping yet again and it’s not like it has not happened before.

Government needs to stamp it’s authority on the situation but without causing fear or panic. There has to be a proactive master plan to get favourable prices for our leaf without using what some have termed as heavy handed tactics. It is only hoped that these deportations were an unfortunate and unavoidable first step of that plan. The last thing investors need, foreign or local, is an environment of uncertainty, one where families are given 24 hours to go. After all government is no scarecrow that sends people scampering for cover, tail between legs, each time it says ‘boo’!

Time to reclaim my bookshelf

As a young boy I was good with mathematics and my twin was good with English. My mother encouraged me to impart some of my number skills to my sister but since practically it is difficult to impart English skills from one to another, I was encouraged to read novels much to my disliking. If I obliged and read as much as my mother had wanted me too I would have no time for magalimoto amwaya (wire cars) and the almost daily treks up Nyambadwe hill. So each time I was told to read a novel and tell my mother the story after a few days, I would turn to my twin (who would have read it before), ask her what the story is about and tell my mother. I would then do my sister a few favours and everything would be cool. Well this was until mommy discovered our little evil scheme!

Today I take great joy in reading if and when work does not get in the way. And I am about to engross myself into novels even more with the discovery of Grey Matter, a relatively cheap and well stocked bookshop in town. They have a great collection of novels, professional books and children’s literature. I went in today and got myself a copy of Richard Branson’s Screw It, Lets Do It. And there were many other titles from Stephen King, Jeffery Archer and other well known and upcoming African writers. A good collection of autobiographies of Fidel Castro, Nelson Mandela, Robert Mugabe, Jack Welch, etc. And all at unbelievable bargains.

My immediate worry is where I will keep this new anticipated collection. I ‘loaned’ a bookshelf to my young boys to put their books, toys and other junk. I even painted it bright red! Time to get some paint stripper, a brush and some white gloss and paint it. I need to reclaim that bookshelf of mine.