Chiefs, residents decry delays in completion of Blantyre–Zomba–Chingale Road project

Chiefs and residents under Traditional Authority Nkula in Machinga District have expressed frustration over delays in completing the Lirangwe–Zomba–Chingale Road Project, saying the hold-up is crippling education, health, agriculture and mining in the area.

In an interview with NyasaTimes, community members said the stalled project is making life harder for thousands of people who depend on the road to access basic services.

“This development project, once completed, will unlock all development opportunities for us,” one resident said.

Health crisis: pregnant women delivering on the way

John Thondolo, a resident in the area, is urging government to fast-track the road works, highlighting how the poor road conditions are costing lives.

“This area has no reliable hospital. People here rely on hospitals in Malosa and Liwonde. Because of this bad road, some of our pregnant women are delivering along the way before they even reach a health facility. We need this road urgently to save lives,” he said.

School learners missing classes, early marriages rising

School learners are also bearing the brunt of the delays. During the rainy season, bridges along the route collapse or become impassable, forcing many pupils to miss classes for days or weeks at a time. Others risk crossing flooded rivers or take long, dangerous detours just to reach school.

Community leaders say the constant disruptions are contributing to school dropouts, which in turn is fuelling early marriages among girls in the area.

Agriculture and trade suffering

The delays are also affecting the marketing of farm produce, with farmers failing to transport maize, beans and other crops to markets on time. As a result, produce often spoils along the way or is sold cheaply to middlemen, cutting into farmers’ incomes.

Traditional Authority Nkula has appealed to government for an immediate solution to ensure the project is completed on time.

Strong appeal: fund the project locally

Traditional Authority Nkapita made a strong appeal to government to prioritise funding for the road.

“We deserve better. We are all Malawians and we also pay taxes. Right now, anyone going to Mwanza is forced to pass through Chingeni. It’s costly and time-wasting,” he said.

He further urged government to consider securing funding from commercial banks to expedite completion of the project, rather than relying solely on donor support or the Roads Fund Administration, saying this could help end the suffering of people in Chingale.

Although the road has taken longer than expected to complete, President Arthur Peter Mutharika, in his State of the Nation Address on February 13, 2026, expressed government’s commitment to completing the project.

In March 2021, residents living along the Lirangwe–Chingale–Machinga Road held a peaceful protest outside the Malawi Parliament to demonstrate their displeasure over the delays in construction.

The 61.2-kilometre road, designated S139 by the Roads Authority, starts at Lirangwe Trading Centre in Blantyre District and extends northwards through Chingale and Chinseu Trading Centres, passing through the gently undulating plains on the western side of Zomba Mountain and traversing swampy areas at Chingale.

The project involves upgrading the existing earth-standard road to a Class II bitumen-standard road with a 6.7-metre carriageway and 1.5-metre sealed shoulders on either side. At least four bridges are expected to be constructed along the route.

Former President Joyce Banda first launched the road construction project in 2014, when her government committed US$19.6 million for the work, which was expected to be completed by 2018.

However, government failed to meet its initial pledge to begin construction within 90 days.

Then-President Peter Mutharika relaunched construction of the Lirangwe–Chingale turnoff road in June 2018.

Locals at the time suspected the promise was a campaign strategy aimed at garnering support from the Eastern Region ahead of the annulled 2019 presidential election.

Since then, progress on the road has stalled, despite its potential to improve mobility and accessibility to areas of high agricultural activity—including irrigation farming—and to ease the transportation of agricultural produce to markets across the area and the wider Southern Region.

Following the 2021 peaceful demonstration, concerned citizens delivered a petition to then Mzimba North legislator Yeremiah Chihana, who represented all Members of Parliament in the National Assembly.

A representative of the residents, Francis Gondwa, said they continue to face numerous challenges as the road becomes impassable during the rainy season.

Speaking after receiving the petition, Chihana lamented the delay, stressing that it was denying residents access to viable economic activities.

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