Africa-Press – Malawi. Road users will shortly reserve their lamentations over the poor state of the Chingeni-Zomba Road as government has finally secured funds to help upgrade the stretch.
This follows an agreement that the Roads Authority (RA) has reached with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the European Union (EU) that stands to enable government rehabilitate the road.
Some experts and other commentators have always argued that the road has outlived its intended lifespan. RA spokesperson Portia Kajanga comfirmed of the development.
“Yes, it’s true. In fact, we have already paid out compensations to those who would be adversely affected by the rehabilitations through Roads Fund Administration,” said Kajanga.
The securing of the financiers for the rehabilitation of the road coincided with plans by a group that has been advocating for the road to be improved.
The group, calling itself Advocacy for Eastern Region Development (AFERD) recently threatened to demonstrate against government over delays to rehabilitate the road which passes through Balaka-Machinga-Zomba districts.
The road, in its current state, remains a death trap to road users as fairly argued by the group. The development comes barely a week after government allocated MK20 billion for the rehabilitation of the Salima-Dwanga Road that has also threatened to halt business growth along the lakeshore areas.
Among others, the road links two of the country’s major sugar factories -Illovo’s Dwanga Sugar Factory in Nkhotakota and its competitors Salima Sugar Factory in Salima. The two manufacturers are arguably the highest providers of employment to both locals and expatriates across the stretch.
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