BT city officials should get a life

Blantyre is a city that has long lost its glory that it was renowned for in the world during years gone past.

Its residents now live more on providence than any systematic service delivery that they are supposed to get from the City Hall in return for the exorbitant rates that they pay through the nose every day.

Refuse is left uncollected days on end in most markets throughout this commercial capital of Malawi. Because of this, most markets—where food is processed and sold—stink, posing a health hazard to residents who buy their provisions from there.

Security is virtually non-existent as most streets, corners and alleys have no lights. Once again, I dare say, the residents of the city of Blantyre survive on God’s grace and not on anything from the council in the way of security that is accorded by a city that is well lit up.

The fire brigade is poorly equipped, managed and centralised that it fails to respond to distress calls and put out a simple fire with its fire engines spending more time on the road collecting water than actually putting the flames out because of lack of capacity.

Only God knows what would happen to us in Blantyre if a real catastrophic fire were to break out due, for example, the blowing off of fuel tanks at Makata in Ndirande.

To cut a long winding story short, the service that residents of Blantyre get from the City Hall is below par and does not inspire confidence at all and the officials at the city know this.

You would, therefore, think that they would put their energies to reversing this sad state of affairs and for once to work for something that in the long run would benefit their clients: city residents.

On the contrary, they have stopped breathing not because of the problems that have rocked the city, but because the opposition UDF party has erected a nice elections campaign billboard featuring its presidential candidate Atupele Muluzi.

At first, the city council had it removed claiming it was mounted before the official campaign time. Come campaign, they still have problems with it.

I know that most officials at the council are political appointees and the temptation could be very high to try to please their benefactors in government for more favours.

By being bothered about a simple billboard, they may think that they are doing President Joyce Banda and her ruling PP campaign a favour, but they are not

You see, by bothering Atupele due to a mere billboard, the city officials are damaging and frustrating the President’s campaign. The impression is that she fears competition, does not want to play fair and is using the acouncil to help her cause. Is that what the council wants?

The question that the council must answer is this: If the billboard had belonged to President Banda, would they have problems with it?

The city is littered with thousands of billboards. Do they take that much interest in its each of them as they have done with this one that UDF has erected at Chichiri Roundabout?

The city council officials should get a life and for once earn the top dollar salaries that the city residents pay them by delivering the required services and leave politicians to bruise each other until Malawians settle the matter on May 20 at the ballot.

They can tell those that are jealous of the nice Atupele billboard at Chichiri that they can erect theirs at many other strategic places in the city other than causing unnecessary conflict and tension among Malawians over senseless issues.

As it is, the country is already inflamed due to what is at stake on May 20. A beautiful Atupele billboard should not make it worse and, I repeat, Blantyre City Council officials should get a life.