Maputo — Mozambique's publicly owned electricity company, EDM, loses around three million dollars annually due to vandalization of its infrastructures across the country.

The fact was revealed on Monday, in Maputo, by EDM spokesperson Luís Amado, during the launch ceremony of the "EDM Journalism Prize-45 years", which aims to reward the best journalistic stories on the energy sector.

Amado, quoted by Radio Mozambique, stressed that in order to reduce cases of vandalism, the company, in cooperation with the Mozambican Police (PRM), is carrying out several initiatives, particularly community surveillance for the conservation of electricity infrastructures.

The company's surveillance measure comes after the discovery of a clandestine network of electricity connections involving 20,000 illegal consumers in the southern municipality of Matola, who used to be blackmailed and charged amounts ranging from 3,500 to 20,000 meticais (between 55 and 312 US dollars, at the current exchange rate) for their illicit connections.

Along with these actions, EDM is promoting a Journalism contest. Work published between 1 January and 31 August this year may be entered.

The chairperson of the Mozambique chapter of the regional press freedom body MISA (Media Institute of Southern Africa), Jeremias Langa, who praised the initiative, said that the prize will enrich the investigative instinct of journalists.

"This will be a vehicle, in addition to our participation as journalists, in the investigation and dissemination of a very important issue that impacts the economy, which is the vandalization of infrastructures that has consequences for all of us,' said Langa, urging journalists to apply for the prize.

The first edition of the 'EDM-45 years Journalism Award' will highlight the best journalistic works published in television, radio, and the print media, dealing exclusively with the theft of electricity the sabotage of electricity infrastructures.