Govt to assess Monkey Bay if it qualifies to cede from Mangochi

Local Government minister Kondwani Nankhumwa says the government would make an assessment on whether Monkey Bay qualifies to stand alone as a district.

This follows calls from some quarters in the lake shore area to make it cede from Mangochi as way of enhancing development in the area.

Nankhumwa said there are several factors that would determine on whether Monkey Bay should be cut from Mangochi or not.

“It all depends on the economic factors of the area, we consider if the area can collect enough revenue to fund council activities, because that is very important,” he said.

He said the government would look at any proposal put on the table for the demarcation of Mangochi into two districts of Mangochi and Monkey Bay.

“We will give an appropriate answer after we get the proposal and an assessment has been done,” he said.

Former president Bakili Muluzi has been blamed for declaring Phalombe, Neno and Likoma Islands districts for political expediency without any assessment forcing the three districts the poorest in the country.

Phalombe and Likoma districts have no district hospital, 20 years after the declaration.