Government has begun relocating Blantyre, Zomba and Lilongwe district councils out of city centres, saying the move will strengthen decentralisation and end jurisdictional confusion.
But the Malawi Local Government Association (Malga) has criticised the process, warning of huge infrastructure costs, lack of consultation and the risk of disenfranchising rural citizens.
Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development spokesperson Chimwemwe Njoloma said Lilongwe District Council will move to Chinguwo Forest at Msundwe, Zomba to Chingale, while Blantyre’s site is still under consultation.
She said the current arrangement, with district councils operating inside city boundaries, “creates the perception they are subordinate to city councils” and undermines decentralisation.
“The relocations will bring district councils closer to communities they serve, improve efficiency and reduce costs and inconvenience for rural residents travelling to cities,” Njoloma said.
However, Malga executive director Hadrod Mkandawire said the ministry should have done a cost-benefit analysis first.
“This will result in high infrastructure costs and possibly increased operational expenses,” he said. “If the headquarters move from a central point to the far tip of the district, wouldn’t that inconvenience service users?”
Mkandawire also warned that moving councils away from city centres could cut citizens off from other key services and that Malga was not consulted.
Njoloma insisted the initiative is limited to districts headquartered within another autonomous authority and that future proposals will be judged on governance and service delivery merits.
Malawi has 36 local authorities operating under the Local Government Act with no supervisory relationship between district and city councils.
