Our indefatigable leader of delegation, the Genuine Prof. Dr Joyce Befu, MEGA-1, has reminded us to remind the City of Blantyre authorities, meaning, the chief executive officer and his team, the mayor and his team, to do something now and continue enjoying their perks or resign hic et nunc.
Those of us who lived during the presidency of the Genuine Ngwazi will tell you that the City of Blantyre was probably the best place to live in Malawi. Ask the Jumbe family of T/A Mpama, Chiradzulu. Ask any living Jumbe and you will be told that it was no accident that Blantyre was called the green commercial city.
Blantyre hosted companies that produced the best fabric in Africa. Yes, Whitex fabrics were the darling of the world. Remember Robin Bridge Shirts? They were produced in Blantyre. Remember Agrimal farming tools? They were produced in Blantyre. Nanga Body by Mandala? Produced in Blantyre.
Blantyre was associated with the best. Carlsberg Malawi was also produced in Blantyre from where it gave a guy and the environment a Green each.
Many Malawians and foreigners flocked to Blantyre to get their piece of the economic pie because Blantyre was money and Blantyre was life. Check: People are now flocking to Lilongwe and Mzuzu in Nkhata Bay.
Blantyre was green despite its industrial hustle and bustle. Mount Soche was green and carried the words Long Live Genuine Ngwazi! Michiru was green and sheltered hyenas that often prowled the city at night collecting dead dogs and food remains. The food web is disrupted and the night undertakers, the hyenas, are nowhere near Blantyre City.
Ndirande Mountain was green and replete with brachystegia and miombo forests. Watch the film, To Ndirande Mountain with Love by Aubrey Kalitera, and you will appreciate our recollection.
How Blantyre lost its green commercial glory is a story everyone already knows and politicians should be ashamed about, and we will not repeat it here.
What is really shocking is how the City of Blantyre has degenerated into something inhabitable. Blantyre Blantyre City is today a story of shame. Rubbish remains uncollected from the townships for weeks at times. Even in markets, the rubbish remains uncollected for weeks. The City of Blantyre appears only interested in collecting rubbish from low density areas only as if the residents of those areas are the only tax payers. Or, are they?
We cannot remember the last time the township roads were rebuilt, the culverts emptied of plastics, and storm drains repaired. The access roads were annually rebuilt using D6 and D7 earthmoving machinery. What stopped the annual processes? Today the streets of the Blantyre City townships look worse than the earth roads of Wenya in Chitipa, Molere in Thyolo, Kawalazi in NKhata Bay, Thunduwike in Rumphi, or Marka in Nsanje.
How suddenly fortunes have changed! It is safer today to drive along the Lozi road in Nkhotakota than to drive on the township roads of Blantyre. Amakhala ku Blantyre! Koma amayende mumayenje! Peter Pine, sing that vibe again.
We are people of faith. We know there is one thing that works in Malawi. Street protests. Remember? The Malawi government was adamant when we Malawians protested at the tollgate fees. But the Bon Kalindo street protests did the magic.
Well, Kalindo is waiting for us to advise him the next action. Hopefully, by the end of January 2022, Blantyre City authorities will wake up and do the work they are being paid for. Otherwise, in February 2022, Valentine’s Day celebrations, will be held at the City of Blantyre premises. Tikubwera konko!
