Lilongwe City Council set for first summit

Lilongwe City Council (LCC) is set to hold its city summit mid next month to offer an opportunity to city residents to have a dialogue on challenges facing the city.

The summit is a brain child of former minister of Local Government Blessings Chinsinga, who had envisioned a platform for sharing of ideas between the city landlords and residents for improved service delivery.

In an interview yesterday, LCC spokesperson Tamara Chafunya said the summit is set for March 15 and stakeholders will discuss the various challenges and come up with solutions that will contribute to a smart, sustainable and livable city.

She said: “The reality is that our city is facing a myriad of challenges that makes our city not fully functioning as a driver of economic growth, development and prosperity. 

“This has to change.  For this change to come, each and everyone must play a role to have a city one can proudly call ‘my city”.

Mathews Malata, a resident and environmental activist, said the summit is a welcome idea which can only be meaningful if the council takes seriously what will be discussed.

He said: “This is not a unique arrangement as the council has ever organised similar meetings before with various stakeholders which changed nothing.”

However, Malawi Local Government Association executive director Hardrod Mkandawire said the summits are unnecessary since governance problems facing the councils are well known.

“The solution lie in policy shift and commitment to full political and fiscal devolution of power without which the summits will be another talk show,” he said.

Blantyre City Council is expected to hold its summit later this month while Mzuzu will hold it in April this year.