Lake Malawi is one of Africa’s most breath-taking natural treasures, a shared heritage that should be the pride and playground of every Malawian.
But over the decades, our prime beachfronts have been quietly swallowed by private interests. Truthfully, buyers are to blame. In the absence of a clear government vision and robust national planning, private wealth naturally steps in, claims the shoreline and fences it off.
The result is a deeply fractured coastline. Miles of pristine beaches are now a patchwork of gated cottages and exclusive resorts where tourists cannot stroll the shoreline and ordinary families cannot picnic on the sand.
Meanwhile, local communities are squeezed into the narrow, leftover gaps. Driven by daily necessity and a lack of basic infrastructure, they are forced to use pristine freshwater marvel as a soapy, communal sink for laundry, bathing and scrubbing pots.
With the government’s announcement of the Makanjira Road, which will unlock the long isolated eastern shore of the lake in Mangochi, a familiar frenzy has already begun. Speculators are on the move, investors are quietly buying up plots and chiefs are being approached with bulging envelopes, all before the tarmac has even been laid.
If we sit back and let this unfold, the outcome is not in doubt. In no time, the eastern shore will look exactly like the western one, a continuous wall of private cottages and gated resorts with the lake hidden behind it and the public firmly on the outside. The Makanjira Road should be a moment of national opportunity, not another quiet surrender.
An uncomfortable but necessary question is whether or not there has ever been any real, coordinated planning for the development of Lake Malawi’s shoreline? The honest answer appears to be, very little, if any.
Now, Makanjira is on the horizon, the same silence prevails. Where is the master plan? Where are the zoning maps? In the absence of these, land is already changing hands quietly, informally and may be, irreversibly.
While the legal authority of traditional leaders selling this land remains debatable, one principle that remains undeniable and true is that national development plans designed for the public good must override informal land transactions. Lake Malawi is a national asset and no single individual has the right to compromise the long-term public interest.
To protect this heritage, the government must clearly define and limit the authority of traditional leaders regarding lakeshore property. Should a land transaction truly be valid and not be voided where it sabotages a national plan meant for the public good? Should the buyers and sellers who bypass the rules be exempt from accountability? Ultimately, we must enforce a simple truth: custodianship is not ownership.
If we want a blueprint, we only need to look across the continent. In Cape Town, along Sea Point, Green Point and Camps Bay, the road runs parallel to the ocean. A wide public promenade separates the sea from all private development, meaning hotels, apartments and restaurants sit entirely on the inland side. Because the beach belongs to everyone, it has become one of the most vibrant, revenue-generating waterfronts in Africa and those inland properties are now some of the most valuable on the continent.
Maputo tells the same story. The famous Avenida Marginal hugs the coastline, placing all private clubs and apartments on the landward side so the beach remains an open, public space that comes alive every weekend. Malawi could easily replicate this success.
My proposal for Makanjira is simple. The road must run parallel to the water, all private construction must be confined to the inland side, and the beach itself must remain open and unbuilt. The advantages of adopting this model are undeniable.
Universal Public Access: The lake belongs to everyone. A properly planned, open shoreline ensures that every Malawian, regardless of income, can enjoy it responsibly as a true leisure and tourism destination elevating it away from the desperate reality of using pristine waters as a soapy sink for washing clothes.
Disaster Risk Reduction: Lake Malawi’s water levels fluctuate dramatically. Keeping the shoreline free of structures and using the road as a buffer protects inland properties from the devastating impacts of flooding and erosion.
A thriving local economy: Open beaches create vibrant spaces for boat operators, curio sellers, food vendors and tour guides. This spreads tourism wealth across the community rather than trapping it behind the gates of a few exclusive resorts.
Ecological protection: Enforcing a setback zone preserves vital vegetation buffers, protects fish breeding grounds and allows for better waste management.
Efficient Infrastructure: Utilities such as water and electricity can be laid along a single road corridor, serving all inland developments cost-effectively.Premium real estate: As Cape Town proves, properties on the inland side of a public promenade command premium prices due to uninterrupted lake views and a vibrant public setting. Developers do not lose in this model; they profit.
To secure the future of our lakeshore, I suggest that the government, among other things, consider the following immediate steps:
Assess and plan: Transparently share whether a comprehensive lakeshore development plan currently exists and if not, consider commissioning one.
Pause sales: Consider a temporary moratorium on the sale of lakeshore plots along the Makanjira corridor until a proper zoning plan is established.
Clarify authority: Provide clear guidelines regarding the authority of traditional leaders to sell lakeshore land, ensuring that no informal sale overrides national planning.
Establish boundaries: Legislate a clear lakeshore setback zone where no private construction is permitted.
Protect public space: Deliberately designate and protect public beaches at regular intervals along the entire coastline.
Envision a boulevard: Draft a master plan for the Makanjira Road, designing it as a scenic lakeside boulevard modeled after Maputo’s Marginal and Cape Town’s Sea Point Promenade.
Build Partnerships: Actively engage traditional leaders and local communities as partners, empowering them to become guardians of the lakeshore rather than sellers of it.
Commit to enforcement: Ensure these rules are strictly and consistently enforced.
This vision demands an ‘all hands-on deck’ approach, utilising Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to fund and manage this coastal transformation. We need a highly coordinated effort from key stakeholders, among others. The Malawi Investment and Trade Centre must take the lead in this national strategy. Rather than leaving development to chance, the Makanjira corridor must be comprehensively packaged and sold as a premier PPP opportunity to serious investors in the hospitality sector.
Lake Malawi is is a heritage we hold in trust, not a shoreline to be sold off in the dark. It is time for visionary national planning to finally take precedence over piecemeal private deals.
*Noel Chalamanda is a private practice lawyer and former Blantyre City mayor.
