Minister Botomani launches mobile network tower in Mangochi

Minister of Information, Civic Education and Communications Technology Mark Botomani has laid a  foundation stone for the construction of a  telecommunications tower for three isolated fishing communities in Mangochi.

The areas to be covered are Mbvunguti, Zambo and Chizale in Monkey Bay in the district.

The minister said the initiative is part of government’s Last Mile Rural Connectivity Project aimed at connecting rural areas in the country to telecommunication services.

Speaking on Saturday at the launch, Botomani said under the project, 136 mobile communication towers will be erected in rural areas nationwide and that, so far, 28 towers have been erected.

He said: “This place has been neglected for long and people from this area have been deprived of communication to the world far too long.

“People should realise that out of all governments, it is only President Mutharika’s that really has the welfare of people in rural areas at heart.”

In his remarks, Mangochi Monkey Bay legislator Ralph Jooma, who is also Minister of Transport and Public Infrastructure, said communication has been a challenge in the area.

“Sometimes adverse weather forces fishers to dock on the other side of the lake in Makanjira and they cannot inform their families who keep waiting in despair. But with the connectivity, all will be well,” he said.

Currently, Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) has already mounted electricity poles all the way from Monkey Bay to Mbvunguti, ready to get the area electrified.

Jooma said government will also buy a public boat to ease transportation challenge as people from the fishing villages rely on Monkey Bay for most of their daily needs.

Like all the other towers under the Last Mile Rural Connectivity, the Mbvunguti Tower will be constructed by Huawei Malawi which, according the company’s Deputy Managing Director, Titus Tasosa, will be between 55 metres and 60 metres tall.

Tasosa said the tower will solely cater for the three fishing areas of Mbvunguti, Chizale and Zambo, adding that there will be no shooting to other areas.

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