MCC seeks partnerships for July 6 decorations

Mzuzu City Council (MCC) has requested the corporate world to partner it and help decorate the city as part of the country’s 53rd Independence Anniversary Celebrations.

MCC public relations officer Karen Msiska said in an interview that the council has a budget of K15 million for the exercise, but it cannot raise the whole amount because of its precarious financial situation.

He said the council has since written some organisations for support which he said can be in cash or in kind for the decorations.

“We are mainly looking forward to light the city’s three roundabouts and the Orton Chirwa Avenue and we desire that to be done a week before the Independence Day and remain as such until a week after,” said Msiska.

He said banners with messages celebrating the day will also be flown around the city.

MCC has mainly cited the over K1.1 billion debt it is owed as the reason for its struggles to provide 100 percent service to residents.

Among others, the council has failed to pay salaries on time, keep the city’s streets lit—an exercise it says costs over K1.8 million a month—and struggled to collect garbage on time.

“We are a bit disadvantaged because we do not have the kind of partnerships our colleagues elsewhere have such as having the corporate world adopting some of the services such as street lighting,” said Msiska.

He said individual property owners were also requested to decorate their premises as part of the Independence Day celebrations.

Malawi will celebrate the Independence Day on Thursday July 6.

This is the day Malawians commemorate the attainment of freedom and nationhood from Britain. n