Mutharika to open K8bn Chapananga Bridge: Reaffirms more infrastructural development for Malawi

President Peter Mutharika has said he is set to open  the long awaited K8 billion Chapananga Bridge across Mwanza River in Chikwawa next week and outlined his government’s nifrastracture development plans.

Mutharika said this  to a thunderous welcome on arrival from Lilongwe at Sanjika Palace grounds on Friday.

The bridge, which connects people of Chimwanjale and Chibisa wards in Senior Chief Chapananga and serves as a shortcut to Mwanza and Mozambique from Chikwawa, ill ease people’s transport challenges.

“We are committed to infrastructural development of this country as such I will open the long awaited Chapananga Bridge next week which happens to be the longest ever in the counrty,” said Mutharika.

The longest bridge in the country (180 metres) is being constructed by Plem Construction Limited with funding from the Malawi Government.

Minister of Transport and Public Works Jappie Mhango  said the bridge is of great importance both economically and socially.

He said people from either side of the river have been experiencing challenges in terms of trade and accessing basic social services such as schools and hospitals. The completion of the bridge means those challenges are over.

In his address to the DPP supporters, Mutharika also revealed that government has secured a total of $36 million for the construction of a 93 kilometre Mpemba-Lunzu-Mapanga-Mzedi-Namiyango-Chigumula ring-Road, saying construction of the first 33 kilometres of the road would start soon.

“We are committed to complete all the development projects soon. The Zomba-Jali-Chitakale Road will soon be completed and open to traffic,” he added.

On reducing poverty, Mutharika said government has already secured money from the European Investment Bank and Japan for the establishment of an Investment Bank where people will be getting loans at reasonable interest rates.

“We will soon start giving out loans to women, men and the youth. Farmers will just need to organise themselves in cooperatives. The youth will just need to come up with viable business plans and we will be able to provide them with the loans.

“This is on top of the social cash transfer program which provides money to ultra-poor households in all districts across the country whose primary objective is to ensure children go to school,” added Mutharika.

On health, Mutharika said that the long awaited National Cancer Centre whose construction is currently at 80 percent would be opened between January and February next year.

“This will be Malawi’s first ever cancer centre and we also plan to construct another in Blantyre,” said the Malawian leader.

Mutharika added that government is doing all it can to solve the problem of power outages being experienced in the country.

“In fact, on Monday next week, we are doing a ground breaking for the construction of a 60 megawatts solar power project in Salima,” he emphasised.