Floods damage roads in Malawi

The downpour in the Central Region has led to the closure of the Lakeshore Road, according to Roads Authority (RA) spokesperson Portia Kajanga, who has advised motorists to use the Kasungu/Nkhotakota Road as an alternative.

In an interview yesterday, Kajanga also said Kaphatenga, Khombeza and Thavite roads in Salima had also been affected.

She said a contractor is on the ground repairing the damaged spots and that the main contractor, Mota-Engil, has also been roped in to speed up the maintenance works.

Kajanga also said the Golomoti/Monkey Bay, a road that connects from Dedza into the Lakeshore Road, popularly known as Khwekhwelele, has also been closed.

The spokesperson, who blamed the situation on this particular road on vandalism, said it will cost the organisation K30 to K50 million to complete the maintenance works on Golomoti/Monkey Bay Road alone.

She explained that thieves steal materials that hold the surface of the road in different spots to allow water to go under.

“After the heavy rains, the surface on these spots curved in, making the road impassable,” she said.