High Court mutes BT City Council on Zinkhoswe and wedding ban in residential areas

Garden owners in the commercial city of Blantyre on Friday obtained an injunction stopping the City Council’s decision to outlaw holding of events in residential areas.

At a traditional Malawian engagement (chinkhoswe) the guests give many low denomination notes in a dance (pelekani pelekani)
At a traditional Malawian engagement (chinkhoswe) the guests give many low denomination notes in a dance (pelekani pelekani)

The city recently banned holding of wedding, engagement and bridal shower ceremonies in residential areas.

The High Court in Blantyre has since allowed judicial review on the matter, granting a sigh of relief to garden owners who petitioned Blantyre City Council on 4 May 2015.

Blantyre City Council in April banned holding of ceremonies in residential areas to curb noise pollution following complaints from some residents of various townships about noise that comes from bridal showers, birthday parties, kitchen top-ups and wedding ceremonies that are held within residential areas.

However, garden owners wrote the Council raising concerns about the abruptness of the order before they sought the court’s intervetion.

The Council said was concerned by the increase in the number of houses being turned into arenas for public ceremonies such as weddings, engagements and bridal showers in residential areas contrary of zoning of the same as residential areas under the Urban Structure Plan of the City of Blantyre.

It then threatened those to prosecute and confiscate instruments being used to cause the said noise nuisance from those defying the ban.

But critics argue that the city authorities are likely to lose the battle on noise pollution as the by-laws do not specify sound level limits for various areas considering that the city council does not have equipment to measure sound levels.

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kate
kate
8 years ago

the ban should also include ma bar onse operating within residential areas chifukwa amasokosa kwambiri. All bars should relocate to trading centers or town areas.

Mphangela
Mphangela
8 years ago

Kodi kuno kwathu ndiangati angakwanitse kulipila malo omwe a blantyre city akufunawo?mmalo mowona za chitetezo mdziko muno mulibe busy ndi zinthu za pa nthawi.osatseka ma bottlestore ali mmalocationwa bwanji or may be amenewa alibe phokoso likunenedwalo?

Kaziulika Chimugonda
Kaziulika Chimugonda
8 years ago

The ban should include those with DJ equipment to stop playing in their homes especially during night time. They disturb those studying for examinations. I suggest that a pompo pompo fine be spelt out.

Titus
Titus
8 years ago

BCC should have given garden owners and their clients adequate notification. Certainly, garden users pay way in advance of functions for service providers to prepare accordingly. Unfortunately, BCC had issued a ‘pompo pompo’ stop to the garden functions; hence the outcry especially from those who had already booked. May I ask all city councils to please give proper notifications on the issue. For example, the councils may announce that beginning January 1st 2016, city councils of BT, LL, ZA, MZ will not permit noise polution in residential areas. Fullstop

This Is Malawi.
This Is Malawi.
8 years ago

This is Malawi. These are lawyers in Malawi. You need a law against urinating in public, if not , shauri yako!!

Truck
Truck
8 years ago

That’s good move don’t forget to close also all Clubs in Residential areas they make noise at night especially on week ends.

Bigman Yusuf Mjomba (Ayuzzey)
Bigman Yusuf Mjomba (Ayuzzey)
8 years ago

Oooooooooooooooooooooookk?

Willie Chirwa
Willie Chirwa
8 years ago

Am a layman in the law arena but one thing I know is if you break the laws of the land you stand to be arrested period. Blantyre City has its bye laws which should be enforced for the good running of the City. Our learned collegue should have taken that on board before granting this injuction, Each and every city, municipal or town council has its own bye laws, during the maturing period of maize we hear of bans on the sale of the same commodity with the aim of preventing theft of green maize in the fields. The… Read more »

Chidongo j
8 years ago

Voto la ma judge omwe anaphunzira ku Malawi ndikungo kulira komweko osaenda alibe chitukuko. phokosodi m’manyumba zikhoswe. A malawi zoona ndithu umunthu wanu wapita kuti amene mukufanizira maliro ndi zikhoswe. kapena birthday. ndiponso ndi kusauka ndi umbuli kumakhala ndi a master of ceremony pa birthday ndikumasupa. Kumaiko anzathu kulibe zimenezo. Itanani anthu kuti anzadye ndikubwera ndi mphaso zoa monga apangira RSA. Khalani anthu okopera zinthu zabwino. Matchalichi onse amanyumba mutsekenso kungodyera anthu ndalama munse munayambira tchalichi mumanga liti. Gulani matent ndi otchipa kwambiri kapana muzipanga hire matent. Mayor akuyenera kulandira ulemu. or kuno ku UK kulibe kufupa birthday ngakhalenso ku… Read more »

Mphwache
Mphwache
8 years ago

Ndaonanso kuti Prophet Samuel waonjeza ma decibel ake. Ife anthu a ku Likhubula and Chemussa sitikugona. Kodi ma church onsewa satha kulalika? Nanga cholalikira at very high decibels ndi chiyani, pamene anthu ali mchurch momwemo? Are they deaf?

Ifenso kuchurch kwathu timapemphera, kutulutsa ademoni, kupereka nsembe koma timachita zimenezi within the confines of our church. Sitisokosera anthu onse mu manyumba mwawo. Kodi inu a prophet mukupanga zimenezi, zikusiyana bwanji ndi aja a mabottlestore omwenso akuchezera usiku kulalika uthenga wao wamowa.?

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