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MP Masangwi inaugurates school

Member of Parliament for Blantyre City East Noel Masangwi on Wednesday inaugurated LDF funded school to the communities around Nkolokoti township.

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Blantyre City Council sponsored the project through Local Development Fund to the tune of K79 million.

The school which is expected to enroll pupils from Standard One to Four has two classroom blocks, office block, head teacher’s house and three modern toilets.

Masangwi said the school will ease the pressure on Nkolokoti Primary School which has one of the highest enrolments in the country.

“Opening of this school will also help in reduction road accidents,” said Masangwi. “We have lost a lot of children who are hit by vehicles as they try to cross the busy road going to Nkolokoti school.”

The legislator has also pledged to construct a feeding shelter at the school before the end of this year to ensure that pupils do not go to Nkolokoti for the sake of food.

The school’s management committee chairperson Ishmael Alex Kuchinyonga commended the support provided by Masangwi as well as former MP for the Constituency John Bande.

Councilllor Joseph Makwinja, who represented the Mayor, said it was impressive to see former MP joining hands with the incumbent on issues of development.

“By being here today, the former Member of Parliament is a clear demonstration of unity. I hope even us followers will learn to live in harmony,” said Makwinja.

Councillor for the area Mary Kachale pleaded with her subjects to take “very good care of the school” and appealed for more support to build more classroom blocks so that the institution has classes to Standard 8.

In the picture, Masangwi, Bande and the Council’s Director of Commerce and Industry who represented the Chief Executive Officer, Dennis Chinseu get a briefing from School Management Committee chairperson Kuchinyonga

 

Blantyre City hosts food festival

The City of Blantyre, BizMalawi and Amakhosi Functions & Events are planning a major event for the people of Blantyre. The Blantyre Food Festival, is predicted to be a leading annual event that brings together the best in food and beverages from Blantyre and surrounds – all in one place. The festival is designed particularly with the family in mind.

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The whole theme of the event will be devoted around wonderful food and drink, with plenty of fun activities for the whole family. This is a chance for families and friends to get out together and have some fun.

Blantyre Food Festival is designed particularly with the family in mind. People who attend this event will be literally ‘tired’ and ‘fed’ out after the festival. It promises to be a day filled with lots of food, drink and fun activities for the whole family.

One can expect delicious food and drinks to entertain one’s appetite. Various other foods will also be on sale such as desserts, cakes, cheese and honey stalls, to name a few.

Activities for the kids such as face painting, colouring, jumping castles and obstacle course among others will be available. We don’t want the adults to be left out of things, so we have live music, an obstacle course, live entertainment and live bands to entertain the ‘big’ kids.

Alongside the food and fun side of things, homemade art and craft stalls, sweet stalls, popcorn and candy floss stalls will be displaying and selling their wares – there will even be a toys stall for the kids.

For further information, or for booking your space for your eating house, activity or stall, please contact the organisers, AMAKHOSI FUNCTIONS & EVENTS, on amakhosi.functions@gmail.com

Date: 12th September 2015
Venue: Green Valley Gardens,
(next door to South End School)
Chicwawa Road
Time: 12:00 through to 9:00pm
Entrance fees: Adults: K1000
Kids under 13: K500
Under 5’s: Free

Work on Midima roundabout in progress

Work at Midima roundabout which was adopted by Chambo Fisheries has started under the Blantyre City beautification initiative. Some of the Blantyre City management team on Tuesday morning inspected the work and were satisfied with the designs.

Work-underwayThe-design-of-the-roundabout

“We look forward to the completion of the work otherwise the designs are beautiful. We appreciate the support we are receiving from Chambo Fisheries and other corporate partners,” said Director of Parks Sylvester Mitini-Nkhoma.

Red Star Campaign on track

The long anticipated implementation of red star campaign will soon be a reality as the exercise is just waiting final report ratification by the Full Council of the Blantyre City.

The Deputy Mayor

 

“By October 30, 2015, all buildings earmarked for demolition to be red star painted,” says Chief Architect and campaign coordinator Mathews Mwadzangati.

“The commencement of formal demolition exercise will take place on 1st March 2016 and the actual construction is expected to start on 1st June 2016,” he adds.

He further says; “Currently the main committee is waiting for the ratification of the recommendations by the full council and notifying all developers on the recommendations.”

The red star campaign started during the era of the first President Hastings Kamuzu Banda but stalled due to some problems.

President Arthur Peter Mutharika revived in February this year when he toured Blantyre and Limbe CBDs to appreciate the state of the buildings in the commercial capital.

The red star campaign involves the relocation of businesses, demolition of structures for city initiated development projects.

It also provides opportunities for replacing dilapidated buildings with modern ones that meet the present living and business infrastructure standards to improve the urban environment and cityscape.

Among the main red star campaign committee members include Blantyre City Council, Commissioner of Lands (south), Commissioner for Physical Planning (south), Surveyor Generals office (south), Ministry of Trade and Industry, Malawi Confederations of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Malawi Institute of Engineers (MIE), Malawi Institute of Architects (MIA), Malawi Institute of Physical Planners (MIPP), Surveyors Institute of Malawi (SIM).

It also includes University Of Malawi – Faculty of Built Environment, National Construction Industry Council (NCIC), the Commissioner of Police (south), Blantyre Water Board (BWB), ESCOM, Representatives of the Asian Business Community in both Blantyre and Limbe.

There are about 160 buildings earmarked for demolition, 85 structures for maintenance and 79 buildings need a new coat while 55 buildings were certified to be in good condition in both Blantyre and Limbe.

The campaign is chaired by the Deputy Mayor Councillor Wild Ndipo.

K1.8 billion for road infrastructure improvement

Government has given Blantyre City Council K1.8 Billion for improvement of road infrastructure in the City.

 

The money, whose target roads were already approved by the Council, was provided under the Special Infrastructure Fund project.

With full recognition that there are a number of roads that need rehabilitation, under the project, the Council only considered the roads that would make an impact to the whole City.

The project would benefit the Angelo Goveya to Manje road, the road off Mugabe Highway from Mthandizi to Mpingwe/Limbe via City Clinic, Youth Centre, Mpingwe Medium Housing Area.

It will also finance Chilomoni Ring Road to Sigerege via Fargo, Off Kapeni road to Zion via Living Waters Church road and Chinseu to Magalasi and Chilimba Landover to Railways road.

“These roads were chosen because of the great impact they have to the people of Blantyre City,” said Deputy Director of Engineering Stone Nkhondodwe.

“The roads will also help in decongesting the city traffic like the off Mugabe Highway to Mpingwe. The Landover to Railways road in Chilimba will help in by passing the two main roads of M1,” he said.

The street lighting also falls under this project and it will cover; CI to Green Corner, Kandodo Corner shop via Mbayani to Kameza roundabout, Kwacha roundabout to Kudya via MBC Television Station and Sunnyside to Manyowe.

This will involve the maintenance of existing street lights and new installation according to Nkhondodwe.

Said Nkhondodwe: “People should take care of the streets lights. They should not vandalise the poles, in so doing we are going to create a beautiful Blantyre.”

Currently, the Council is preparing the tender documents to be followed by advertisement of tender notices in the media.

After receiving the bids, there will be an evaluation which will lead to the selection of successful bidders, a process expected to be completed in about three months.

“This project has come at the right time because there is a general outcry due to conditions of our roads and infrastructure,” said Chimwemwe Ndelemani, Assistant Director of Engineering.

Sanitation project taking shape

The Sanitation Service Level Agreement (SSLA) project which aims at improving the availability of public toilets in the City of Blantyre is now taking shape.

Wes-Waste

The WASTE facilitated SSLA project is co-funded by Blantyre City Council, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Department for International Development (DfID) of the British government.

“The objective of the project is to improve access to sanitation services across the unsewered areas of Blantyre City,” says Joseph DeGabriele, WASTE country director.

It focus on three areas of service delivery to improve the management of faecal sludge namely improved access to clean public toilets throughout the city, improved access to safe and efficient desludging of toilets in unsewered areas and improved access to faecal sludge treatment.

“As far as possible, these services have to be carried out under the partnership between BCC and the private sector. The role of BCC would be to ensure that the services are delivered to a good standard throughout the city while the private sector actually delivers the services,” says DeGabriele.

He adds; “For this to take place, there needs to be good contractual agreements that ensure quality service delivery and those investments by the private sector are encouraged and protected.”

Mayor Noel Chalamanda said the Council was grateful to have received such a prestigious grant worth such amount from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Mayor appealed to different stakeholders including residents and the business community to come forward to participate through investments.

Said Chalamanda; “It is our hope that the implementation of this project, which will increase sanitation facilities, will help all of us to change our attitudes and mindsets especially when it comes to use and protection of public facilities.”

At the moment, the project implementers are working on calling for expression of interest to solicit applications from qualified private sector operators interested in investing and managing public toilets within Blantyre City.

It is expected that under the $2,638,272 (about K1.1 billion) three-year project, rehabilitation and construction works will be one and the city will end up having at least 100 functional public toilets.

The picture shows project partners discussing bid documents and proposed sites for public toilets The picture shows project partners discussing bid documents and proposed sites for public toilets The picture shows project partners discussing bid documents and proposed sites for public toilets.

The picture above shows project partners discussing the bid documents and brainstorming on the proposed sites for public toilets

Chambo Fisheries partner with Council in City beautification

Chambo Fisheries has officially adopted Midima roundabout in Limbe following the signing of City beautification agreement between Blantyre City Council and the company on Tuesday.

Chief-and-Ishmail

Chambo Fisheries says it is pleased to be given a chance to participate in the beautification of the City. Among other features, the company intends to erect a fountain and make the roundabout attractive for family visits.

The Council’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Dr Alfred Chanza said it was pleasing that the corporate world was coming forward to partner with the Council.

Council meets big buses operators

The Blantyre City Council on Tuesday, August 18, 2015 met officials from the Big Bus Association. The meeting was centred on finding a common position on how to deal with disorder at Wenela Bus depot and also other spots where buses illegally load and offload passengers. The amicable discussion which lasted for more than two hours, agreed that the operators will continue using the outside of Wenela Depot until such a time when the Council will give a direction on the status of the depot. Among members of the association was its chairperson businessman Yusuf Matumula. Acting Director of Town Planning and Estates Services Mathews Mwadzaangati assured the operators of the Council’s commitment to ensure that it provides conducive environment to the residents to do business and prosper.

Mayor receives donation of desks

Blantyre City Mayor Noel Chalamanda on Tuesday received a donation of 56 desks from Claude Bandawe, a Malawian resident in the United Kingdom on behalf of Chilomoni LEA School.

Mayor-in-class

Chalamanda, who is also the Council for the ward, said he will work with the Member of Parliament for the Constituency; Tarsizius Gowelo to ensure the school has necessary facilities.

For example, the school which was established in the 1960s, has no electricity and security fence.

School authorities said lack of electricity and security fence is impacting negatively as the institution has several times been attacked by robberies.

The Mayor thanked the donor, Mr Bandawe for remembering where he is coming from despite living very far away from Malawi.

“We do not have to be rich to give but the heart of giving is very important. The only way we can show appreciation to Mr Bandawe is by taking care of the desks,” he said.

PTA chairperson Mr Kayiya said in this modern world, there was need for the school to have computers.

George Bandawe, brother to the donor, said the issue of computers in this era cannot be ignored and pledged to speak to his brother for consideration.

Mr Bandawe and his associates have donated the desks for the third time to the school. In 2013, they presented 55 desks and in 2014, a total of 70 desks were also donated.

Council introduces Magazine

The Blantyre City Council has introduced a Magazine to provide a platform to members of the public especially Blantyre City residents to interact with the Council.

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Due to the nature of services which the Council offers both to the local and international clients, it has become necessary to come up with a magazine which will be distributed beyond the boundaries of the City.

This magazine will not only offer an interaction opportunity but also introduce some of the services the Council provides which may be of interest to the public.

Through the Council’s mission statement, it is envisaged becoming the best managed and accountable Council, responsive to the needs of the residents through the provision of efficient and effective services through participatory approaches and sustainable use of resources.

It is in line with the magazine objectives that the Council strives to increase communication to the public in order to enhance effective dissemination of messages about the Council operations.