BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The Civil Society-led Black Economic Empowerment Movement (MaBLEM) has dismissed allegations linking Pacific Limited to the electricity blackout that affected large parts of Limbe during the recently concluded rainy season, describing claims that the company solely caused the incident as “misleading and incomplete.”
Addressing the media on Monday, 11 May 2026 in Lilongwe, MaBLEM Chairperson Robert Mkwezalamba said the movement conducted an independent fact-finding mission in Blantyre, which included physical inspections of the site at the centre of the controversy.
Earlier reports alleged that construction activities by Pacific Limited, whose development project borders an ESCOM installation in Limbe, damaged electricity infrastructure and triggered a 24-hour power outage affecting most parts of the commercial city.
However, MaBLEM says its findings established that the incident was largely a result of extreme weather conditions experienced during the peak of the rainy season, combined with the geographical positioning of ESCOM infrastructure near the project site.
“The company’s development of an upscale shopping and market complex is being undertaken within approved plans and within the legal boundaries of its property. The challenge arose because ESCOM infrastructure is situated on elevated ground and, due to gravity and the intensity of the rains, the retaining wall collapsed, causing electricity poles to fall and eventually leading to the blackout,” said Mkwezalamba.
He further questioned why the matter was being heavily publicised several months after the incident, despite the fact that the rainy season caused widespread destruction to infrastructure across the country.
“It is surprising that this issue is only now attracting heightened attention when the incident occurred during a period in which heavy rains affected several ESCOM installations nationwide. Reports at the time indicated that more than 28 ESCOM sites across Malawi were impacted by severe weather conditions,” he added.
Mkwezalamba, who was accompanied by MaBLEM National Coordinator Fryson Chodzi and other movement officials, said the organisation intervened because the matter touches on broader concerns regarding the treatment of indigenous-owned businesses and what it described as recurring attempts to damage their reputation through negative publicity.
The movement expressed concern over what it termed “a growing culture of discrediting local investors,” arguing that indigenous businesses continue to play a significant role in job creation, infrastructure development, and economic empowerment.
“Pacific Limited has frequently come under criticism, particularly directed at its owner, Mr. Faizal Aboo. Unfortunately, some individuals deliberately fail to distinguish between a private individual and a legally registered corporate entity. Attacks targeting the owner are often unfairly extended to the company itself,” said Mkwezalamba.
He also referenced previous criticism surrounding the construction of Pacific Towers in Limbe, noting that the development has since evolved into a key commercial hub supporting local entrepreneurship.
“Today, more than 200 black-owned businesses operate from Pacific Towers, which remains one of the few commercial facilities in Limbe offering relatively affordable rental space for indigenous entrepreneurs,” he said.
Pacific Limited is a Malawian-owned company with investments in real estate and other commercial sectors. Over the years, the company has attracted both praise and criticism due to the scale and visibility of its projects.
On corporate social responsibility, MaBLEM commended the company for its nationwide borehole rehabilitation initiative, which the movement described as one of the country’s largest privately funded community support programmes.
According to MaBLEM, the company has rehabilitated more than 10,000 boreholes across constituencies nationwide, significantly improving access to clean and safe water in underserved communities.
The movement has since called for balanced reporting and responsible public discourse whenever issues involving indigenous-owned businesses arise, stressing that local investors must be treated fairly while remaining accountable within the confines of the law.
Echoing similar sentiments, Baxton Nkhoma, Executive Director for Citizen Alliance and a member of the investigation team, commended Pacific Limited for collaborating with ESCOM by constructing an underground passage designed to accommodate electricity cables servicing Limbe.
“This demonstrates responsible corporate citizenship by Pacific Limited. In all fairness, the company could have proceeded with its project and left ESCOM to independently relocate the cables at a later stage. Instead, they chose to provide underground access beneath their structures, which reflects innovation, cooperation, and responsiveness to ESCOM’s future expansion needs,” said Nkhoma.
He further cautioned government authorities and ESCOM against being influenced by what he described as “jealous individuals” pushing for punitive action against the company.
“In all fairness, ESCOM itself could equally have considered compensating Pacific Limited for damage caused to materials that fell onto the company’s property. Matters of this nature require balanced reasoning and objectivity,” he said.
“We must focus on the bigger picture and the long-term benefits such investments bring to communities and the economy, rather than overemphasizing an isolated incident involving a power line that was repaired and remains operational today,” Nkhoma added.