Stories From Home

by Gloria Masanza. 

Government authorities have disclosed that the re-construction work of the Ndirande market in the commercial capital Blantyre would start soon

This was said by Local government and rural development minister George Chaponda on Friday, when he cheered vendors who lost their wares when the market was gutted down by fire last week.
 
Chaponda, who during the visit also assessed the damage caused by the inferno, in collaboration with Blantyre city authorities, said repair works would cost about K100 million.
 
Chaponda was accompanied by the newly appointed minister of housing and urban development, Jaffallie Mussa.
 
The two also expressed worry over what he termed as an alarming increase of fire accidents destroying markets across the country.
 
Meanwhile-President Bingu wa Mutharika has established a fund to compensate traders, who lost their goods during the fire that razed down Ndirande main market in the city of Blantyre, early this week.
 
Up to four million kwacha has already been provided to the fund by the president, while another K10 million has already been identified from well wishers in the city.
 
Earlier this week, People’s Progressive Movement-PPM vice president Mark Katsonga, pledged to give the fire victims  up to two million kwacha.
 
Meanwhile- former president and UDF national chairman Bakili Muluzi on Saturday gave about 3 million kwacha compensation, to help the vendors get back to their feet.
 
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Malawi’s President Bingu wa Mutharika has dismissed reports that the country risk turning into a giant slum by 2050 due to urbanisation.
 
The president said this at the New State House in Lilongwe, during the swearing in of Jaffallie Mussa, as Minister of the newly formed, housing and urban development ministry.
 
His remarks follow a warning by United Nations Habitat programme manager for Malawi John Chome.
 
Chome said that going by the current 5.2 growth rate, close to three million people would be living in towns, by year 2010, and another 15.5 million Malawians will flock into the town by 2050.
 
The UN representative described Malawi’s situation on urbanisation, as a silent tsunami.
 
But president Mutharika described Chome’s projection as overestimated.
 
The president wondered how such a scenario would come into play.
 
He also said the creation of the ministry of Housing and Urban Development, was not a response to the alarm but a coincidence.
 
The creation of the housing and urban development ministry, brings the number of ministries if the current administration to 22, with the president chairing two ministries, that of education and agriculture.
 
But Mutharika quickly said his government has moved in with essential strategies to counter the increasing rate of urbanisation.
 
Currently an estimated 1.8 million people live in the country's towns.