Malawi Local Government Association (Malga) has welcomed the plan to relocate some district councils to the outskirts of cities, saying the move will promote balanced infrastructure development and economic growth.
Malga executive director Hadrod Mkandawire said this in an interview last week in reaction to the scheduled relocation of district councils of Blantyre, Zomba and Lilongwe from the cities’ respective central business districts.
| Nation
Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development spokesperson Chimwemwe Njoloma last week said Zomba District Council is set to relocate to Chingale while Lilongwe District Council will move to Chinguwo Forest and Blantyre District Council’s new location is yet to be identified.
In reaction, Mkandawire said: “In addition, this would bring administrative services closer to local communities and reduce rural-to-urban migration as the new headquarters of the district councils would help to turn the new locations into active economic hubs.
“However, on the converse, we are of the considered view that this will result in high infrastructure costs to host the new headquarters and possible increased operational expenses. Therefore, we would have loved if there was a cost benefit analysis and thorough convenience analysis to support this decision at the moment.”
But he also observed that where the district council headquarters move from a more central point to the far tip of the district, it would inconvenience service users and citizens from the other locations of the district.
Mkandawire said the move may also have implications on the citizens, especially where district council offices move from the central business areas and there are some pertinent questions Malga would have loved if they were sufficiently addressed in the first place.
He called for the need for consultations with all key stakeholders, including Malga as an umbrella body of local authorities on the matter.
The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development anticipates that the relocation of the district councils’ headquarters will improve administrative efficiency, reinforce the distinct identity of each council, and make it easier for citizens to know where to access services.
