Minister orders Nkhata Bay Jetty renovation

Minister of Transport and Public Works Jappie Mhango has ordered officials under his ministry to renovate Nkhata Bay Jetty by December this year.

Speaking on Wednesday when he toured the jetty, the minister said patients from Likoma and Chizumulu islands should not have problems when disembarking from the ship.

“I am not advising, I am giving instructions to my officials to do whatever they can to redeem these people. You can agree with me that while we were standing at the bridge, patients that had alighted from the ship were struggling to come to the shore,” he said.

Mhango said the absence of the jetty is also affecting tourism and transportation of goods. The minister said people find it hard to use water transport because the jetty is not being attended to.

Parliamentary Committee on Transport and Public Works chairperson Victor Mbewe said in an interview yesterday that since the minister has given a deadline on the project, there is need to monitor progress and hold him accountable if the jetty is not renovated.

Nkhata Bay district health officer Albert Mkandawire said with the absence of the jetty, patients from Likoma face harsh conditions and their lives are at risk.

“Just last week, four people that were referred to Nkhata Bay District Hospital went through tough conditions to come here. There could be others that go straight to Mzuzu,” he said.

The jetty was damaged by storm and has been under water for about a year. Officials from Nkhata Bay Port estimate that K26 million will be needed to renovate the jetty. n