Environmentalist Malata Backs Mutharika’s Sanitation Order — But Warns Action, Not Applause, Will Decide Success
Environmental expert Mathews Malata has described the executive order on hygiene and sanitation issued by President Peter Mutharika as timely — but cautioned that without real enforcement and funding, it risks becoming another well-written directive with little impact.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Nyasa Times, Malata said the order directly confronts a growing waste management crisis that Malawi has ignored for too long.
“This is long overdue. We must support efforts that help us manage waste properly. What we have been lacking is political will and proper coordination. Without systems in place, waste management interventions will continue to fail,” he said.
Malata did not mince words. He stressed that Malawi’s waste management problems are deep-rooted and cannot be resolved by one institution or a single announcement.
“Malawi has a waste management crisis. It cannot be solved by one stakeholder. The challenges are structural and must be addressed in phases,” he emphasized.
He pointed out that hygiene, sanitation and waste management have consistently suffered from chronic underfunding. According to him, many City and District Councils no longer have functional waste management systems — some effectively collapsed years ago.
For the executive order to move beyond paper, Malata said government must urgently bring together all key stakeholders, both public and private, to identify bottlenecks and implement practical solutions. He also called for firm enforcement by City Councils and local government authorities, especially in dealing with private sector players.
But enforcement alone will not be enough, he warned. Public awareness and behavioral change must accompany the directive if it is to succeed.
The endorsement of the order as “timely” comes with an unmistakable undertone: Malawi has heard strong policy pronouncements before. The difference this time, Malata suggests, will lie not in the wording of the order — but in the political courage to fund it, enforce it and sustain it.