MHC tenants meeting in ‘zonse zimene za Kamuzu Banda’ chants: Protest rental hike

A meeting of Malawi Housing Corporation’s (MHC) tenants   at Chitawira Primary School in Blantyre on Sunday was punctuated by protests  chants and songs of  ‘zonze zimene za Kamuzu Banda’ [ everything belongs to founding president the late Ngwazi Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda].

Napolo: MHC surviving on sale of plots and not on house rentals

The tenents  meeting under the umbrella of MHC national tenant association was to come up with a common position  following MHC decision to hike house rentals by an average of 48 percent.

They demanded that the hikes be revised, saying they will seek court’s redress to stop the hike.

MHC national tenant association chairperson Mervin Kaumphawi said the corporation should have taken into consideration the rising cost of living and the minimum wage in coming up with the rental hike.

They agreed to obtain a court injuction and seek a judicial review.

A mass protest is also likely going to be staged, according to their spokesman Goodnews Mphande.

The tenants who are renting one-bedroom apartments, argued  that the adjustment of the rentals from K55 000 to K84 700, representing a 54 percent rise, was dismaying.

They also argued that the percentage is 10 times the previous percentage, citing 2016’s 10 percent, which was from K50 000 to K55 000, and 2015 six percent adjustment, which saw the corporation increasing rentals from K47 190 to K50 000.

The tenants reminded that MHC was established in 1964 with a purpose of providing affordable housing for the middle and lower class sectors of the working population.

But MHC chief executive officer (CEO) Eunice Napolo said at a news conference in Blantyre on Friday that her corporation decided to raise the rentals in order to generate more funds for its maintenance works, construction of more houses and to meet escalating costs.

Napolo said the corporation was of late surviving on sales of plots and not on house rentals and revenue, hence funds were not sufficient to maintain houses.

She said the hikes, made differently based on class of houses and location, has been implemented with government’s approval effective July 1 2017.

 

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MR Lee
MR Lee
6 years ago

Yea naonso ma teachers avuta uko ku Lunzu,salale yachepa ,onjezankoni,koma ndiye zonse zimene nza Kamuzu Banda .

Ndiye pamene angayimbe ati,sindidzaiwala angwazi mpaka imfa kumanda.

Hon Pwhisi
Hon Pwhisi
6 years ago

Hehede kkkkkk palendi mpaka kusankhana uchairman.abale tulukani kamangni zanu, malo alipo kwa chisapo 49,25, kaphili .tima bedsitter mpaka kubelekelamo ana 9, nkulandilanso zidzukulu mxiii. tichite kukuganizilani kuti tsopano kamangeni yanu.
Mukaganiza nokha ndiye kupita ku chimbudzi basi .
Tulukani anzanu akhala pa waiting list zaka 20, akudikila nyumba zomwezo.
Fumanimo.tulukanimo!!!

Chipoya LJ
Chipoya LJ
6 years ago

Land lord ngati wanena, wanena basi. ngati simukwanitsa tulukanimo basi alowetsemo ena omwe angakwanitse.
ma tenants enanunso mwakhala mnyumbazi mpaka dzaka 30 osamamga yanu. mpaka zidzukulu mnyumba ya rent.
ma tenants enanso mpaka mumachititsa rent nyumbazo ngati zanu.

bravo MHC! anthu ulesi basi. daily kumwa mowa komanso kugula magalimoto mulibe nyumba pali nzeru pamenepo? tulukanimo ena alowemo

nphwache wa bingu
nphwache wa bingu
6 years ago

Guys if you think that the MHC rentals are too high please vacate the houses and find cheaper houses out there. Sanakumangirireni ayi!!

Chibalo
6 years ago

Guys Eunice Napolo at the helm of MHC? When did that happen guys? Government employed silently because you are a Lomwe? Why is this goverment playing with Malawians like that? It would have another thing if we saw an advert and she competed with other Candidates and maybe got favored as a woman and ofcourse as a Lomwe which is the case now with many positions.Malawians must wake up from the slumber. This Country is divided along deep tribal lines.In the name of making reference to Tumbukas, the Chewas are convinced that this Country is atleast better with a Lomwe… Read more »

meyala
meyala
6 years ago

50% hike is way too much considering mmene ndalama yavutira pa Malawi. Yes maintenance cost inakwera koma be considerate MHC, mudziko lathuli its the minority few omwe akulandira salary yooneka kumaso kwa anthu, ambiri they get pea nuts and those are the pipo akukhala nyumba za MHC. Please be realistic.
On the other hand, ma landlord a MHC osangokomedwa kuti nyumba za MHC ziliko affordable nde kukhazikika pa comfort zone. Abale tatiyeni kumayeserako pang”ono kupeza malo nkuyambapo kachisakasa kathu. chako nchako anthu, rent mpakana retirement? Amangwetu tiyeni tiziganizira zamawa lathu, nyumbazi tikakhalamo kumatuluka kupereka mpata kwa wena nawo akakhalemo.

George Phala
George Phala
6 years ago

I think we should privatise MHC as it is no longer providing a social service that it was intended for. We are shareholders and we cannot be charged commercial rates. Let us as citizens withdraw our money from MHC and use it for cement and Malata subsidy so that we can build our own houses. MHC can go commercial just like Kukoma, IT centre etc

If indeed the Govt has approved this increase, we, our parent and our children and will remember this in 2019.

mtete
mtete
6 years ago

This borders on inefficiency on the part of MHC. Surety rental revision could have been staggered to caution the burden on tenants. Someone did not do their homework.

I bet rental hike was shelved in the runner up to 2014 elections for fear of scaring away voters. A combination of six and ten percent rises from 2013 would have taken the rentals to the level being demanded now. Anyway, what do you expect from Boards full of political sympathisers and praise singers?

Well, no complaining here. This is the government you freely voted in.

Nkhombokombo
Nkhombokombo
6 years ago

MHC are justified to raise the rentals as per say but the justification to raise the rentals by 50% as in this case is inhumane. For the past 52 years we’ve been in this Indipendence we have never heard of Govt raising salaries by that percentage even the private sector to achieve that means you are exceptionally performing well. But MHC are literally doing nothing in terms of maintenance! How do they ever think of building new houses when they are now dismally performing in terms of maintenance for the few houses they already have? Most of these houses last… Read more »

Naphiri
6 years ago

I remember when I was living in Falls Estate with my parents, there used to be a maintenance office of MHC. Any problem faced, they could come and do the maintainable and every year around June they used to paint the houses. But now all that odd gone and they are raising rentals like nobody bussiness. Uni adiphiphi build your own houses and do that. Your are selfish people.

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