Phoya warns physical planners against corruption

Minister of Lands and Housing Henry Phoya has warned public physical planners to desist from corrupt tendencies, saying the malpractice has over the past years left the country’s land development in a mess.

Phoya said this in Lilongwe on Friday during this year’s Malawi Institute of Physical Planners (MIPP) Planning Workshop held at Sunbird Lilongwe.

“Over the past years, physical planning has been characterised by illegal development with haphazard, disorderly and substandard developments especially in our major urban areas. This is a clear indication that MIPP has a lot of homework to do, starting with refraining from corrupt tendencies which I believe is one major factor stalling proper executing of land developing plans,” he said.

The minister, who is also patron of the grouping, said government will not hesitate to prosecute those caught in the malpractice.

But while acknowledging the existence of the malpractice within the ranks, MIPP president Mike Moyo bemoaned the institutional machinery for purposes of physical planning and enforcement services which he said are inefficient partly due to inadequate funding the institute get for its job.

He said making physical planning productive and equitable will require a focus on local economic development aspects, sufficient funding, proper policy direction and enforcement.

Currently, MIPP has 85 members, 35 of whom are chartered whereas 45 are student members from Mzuzu University and the Polytechnic, a constituent college of the University of Malawi.