New Blantyre City mayor outlines plans

Newly-elected Blantyre City Mayor Joseph Makwinja says his first task in office is to ensure cleanliness, improved ambience of the city and make businesses thrive again.

The former deputy mayor also said he wants to review Blantyre City boundaries because currently “the boundaries do not appear to be defined”.

“We want to establish a city centre in Blantyre where businesses will be open until midnight,” said Makwinja.

He also said that he will engage stakeholders, including vendors and the corporate world to share with them his vision.

Makwinja, who is Bangwe Ward councillor (Democratic Progressive Party-DPP), said this after he defeated Namalimwe Ward councillor Getrude Chirambo (DPP) to the mayoral seat.

During elections held yesterday at Blantyre Civic Centre, he got 16 votes against Chirambo’s 14.

Makwinja has replaced fellow DPP councillor Wild Ndipo whose two-and-a-half year term has ended.

In the race for deputy mayor’s office, Bangwe Mthandizi councillor Isaac Jomo Osman (DPP) beat Nyambadwe councillor Funny Baraba Kanojerera (UTM Party), who was seeking re-election, by 11 votes against 10 while Limbe Central councillor Gerald Lipikwe (DPP) got nine votes.

Osman, a former street kid-turned entrepreneur, said was going to use his election to motivate street children.

“Through me, the street-connected children now have hope that if they work hard and have good behaviour they will be successful,” he said.

The mayoral elections follow those in Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Zomba city councils last month.

The three cities also ushered into office new mayors to serve until the end of the extended 2019 to 2025 local government tenure.

In their respective elections, Esther Sagawa (Malawi Congress Party-MCP) assumed the office of Lilongwe City mayor, Kondwani Nyasulu (UTM Party) was elected Mzuzu City mayor while Christopher Jana (DPP) won the seat in Zomba.

On deputy mayor positions, Monica Simwaka (MCP) became Mzuzu’s first female deputy mayor, Anthony Gonani (DPP) made it in Zomba while Ruth Chingwalu (MCP) won in Lilongwe.

Yesterday, Blantyre District Council also held its extraordinary full council meeting where Elson Dumuka of Mzamba Nantipwiri Ward was elected chairperson while councillor Montfort Phalura of Chigwaja Ward was voted vice-chairperson.

In Machinga, Kanjuli Ward councillor Simplex Diwa (DPP) was yesterday elected chairperson of Machinga District Council chairperson and DPP councillor Davies Weja is his deputy.

And in Mangochi, DPP councillors Abdullah Yusuf and Imrani Nyambi were last week elected chairperson and vice-chairperson respectively while in  Balaka, Pharoah Kambiri (DPP) assumed the position of chairperson and his deputy is Dickson Wasili (DPP).