Malemia applauds Malawi govt for K11.1bn Nsanje-Marka road construction

The construction of the 29 kilometres access road to the border town of Marka from Nsanje Boma is now underway as well as the Limbe/Marka railway rehabilitation works and the area’s Senior Chief Malemia says once completed, these development projects shall improve their economic lives.

The Chief said this at the installation of Steven Ngabu Chakuuma as the 7th Traditional Authority Ngabu on Friday at Khuluvi headquarters in Ngabu, Nsanje District that was presided over by Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Ben Malunga Phiri.

“This road to the border is very important in our lives but it affected our business ventures to and from Marka but now that the contractor is on the ground, we see our lives changing.

“This is the road that people from Marka and its surrounding areas use to bring their agricultural products to Nsanje and all the way to Blantyre,” he said.

The government has put aside K11.1 billion for the Nsanje-Marka  Road project. The construction contract was awarded to China Railway 20 Bureau Limited.

The Senior Chief also said the rehabilitation of the rail network from Limbe to Blantyre will not only ease transportation of their business goods to Blantyre but will also empower those who shall be employed by the company doing the works.

The rail links Malawi with Mozambique in the South and it goes through Blantyre, Balaka, Salima, Lilongwe and all the way to Mchinji and Chipata.

At Nkaya in Balaka the rail is linked with the one that goes all the way to the border town of Nayuchi and Mozambique.

Over the years, rail transportation was neglected but of late, after Mozambique sought access to Nacala to transport coal from Moatize to the sea port of Nacala, a new rail was built passing through Mwanza and Nkaya all the way to Nayuchi and Nacala.

Before the installation ceremony, the Minister also inspected development projects of modern market as well as a bus depot that are being completed at Nsanje Boma and he assured the people that these projects are just a tip of the iceberg for the district.

Since most of development projects are initiated at district council level, the Minister also inspected Nyamadzere Community Day Secondary school, which is in dilapidated state and badly need rehabilitation.

The school also was provided with an income generating maize mill in its bid to be elevated to a boarding school but it ceased to function.

Hostels and a kitchen were built way back in 2009 but up to now they are not functioning and have been heavily vandalised.

The Minister assured MP for Nsanje South West, Eurita Ntiza Valeta, the DC Michael Chimbalanga; Council chairperson Andrew Piriminta and the school committee that he will make sure these projects should be renovated in order to give its learners the best environment.

The MP, the DC and T/A Malemia bemoaned the drought that has affected Nsanje and at the moment there is no maize at Admarc markets, prompting private vendors to exorbitantly over price the staple as much as K15,000 per 50kgs bag.

They pleaded with the Minister to try and push that Admarc should provide stock for them at reasonable prices.

The installation ceremony was also graced by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Francis Kasaila, MP for Nsanje Central; MP Gladys Ganda of Nsanje Lalanje; MP Ramuzan Juma of Nsanje South; Council chairperson Andrew Piriminta, Paramount Chief Lundu among others.

The Minister pleaded with the chief to unite his people by being impartial and also urged him to impress on his subjects to send girls to school in order to have more women in leadership positions like the two MPs they have in Valeta and Ganda.

It has been a busy week for the Local Government minister in which he also installed two chiefs in Mulanje — T/A Njema and Sub T/A Tombondiya on Wednesday as well as T/As Mtumbwinda and Chikweu in Machinga on Thursday.

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