Wenya, Nthalire people demand road construction
Wenya Development Organisation in Chitipa has expressed concern over lack of resources in the 2020/21 National Budget for road extension from Chendo to Nthalire.
The road is already under construction from Kapoka to Chendo.
In a letter the organisation has written Minister of Transport and Public Infrastructure Mohammed Sidik Mia, chairperson Alex Kayira said Wenya and Nthalire are hard-to-reach due to poor road network.
He asked government to consider extending the road from Chendo to Nthalire through Wenya to cover the remaining 95 kilometres.
Reads the letter in part: “The road is an alternative route to Tanzania and Zambia from Mzuzu and should Chiweta Road be blocked due to landslides or avalanches, the Rumphi-Chitipa Road will alternate in traffic movements; hence continued trading activities among Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania without disruption.”
He said the road will facilitate tourism at Nyika National Park.
Kayira also said the road passes through Kaphirinkhonde Market in Nthalire, a busiest local produce market.
Presenting the 2020/21 National Budget, Minister of Finance Felix Mlusu mentioned the completion of two roads in the Northern Region.
He said: “Madam Speaker, a number of projects were also expected to be completed by end of 2019/2020 fiscal year, but have since been carried over into 2020/2021 fiscal year. These include the following: Njakwa-Livingstonia Road which involves upgrading 75 kilometres of earth road to bitumen standard.
“This project, Madam Speaker, is 65 percent complete; Rumphi-Hewe Turn-Off road covering a distance of 20 kilometres from Chikwawa on the road to Nyika-Hewe Turn-Off.”
Mia could not be reached for comment as we went to press.
