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Honourable Folks, Dr David Livingstone, after whose birthplace in Scotland our commercial capital was named, died way before the three Cs that defined his mission to Africa — Christianity, Civilisation and Commerce —became entrenched in old Kabula.
Even the Ngwazi, Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda, Elder of Church of Scotland who, when he later became Life President of our independent sovereign state, introduced Operation Red Star in Blantyre to ensure that commerce took place in a civilised, modern environment, left us for good in 1997.
But to whom do Blantyre City fathers answer now? Is that boss “sick and tired” of enforcing standards befitting the historic prominence of our city which became a hub of commerce, Christianity and civilisation way before Harare and Lusaka? Who, in the name of democracy and good governance, can make the city fathers answerable for letting plague deposit its yellow stuff almost everywhere in the city, exuding the kind of stench that comes with breath from an unwashed mouth?
I know President Bingu wa Mutharika promised to watch closely the performance of ministers and top civil servants to ensure productivity in government—which I doubt is happening considering that the President is reportedly too occupied even to read and act on the critical report on maize scam of 1999-2000—but can he also touch Mayor John Chikakwiya, who doubles as UDF Regional Governor for the South? At least, I didn’t hear him promise that.
As we head towards yet another highly partisan Local Government polls—which I can predict will again be characterised by voter apathy and lack of either capacity or interest by cash-strapped opposition parties to contest elsewhere other than in their respective strongholds, as was the case in 2000—NGOs have already started talking about enhancing civic education.
Why? The impression these NGO folks create is that decentralisation isn’t yielding development because of the power struggle that ensued when both MPs and councillors decided to assert their authority over the same groups of voters, each party ready to claim 100 percent credit for development projects which are almost entirely donor-funded.
Well, Blantyre doesn’t seem to experience that kind of problem if only because there’s no one who cares about getting credit for its development. The fatcats at the helm of city assembly hierarchy seem to care more about growing political wings than the welfare of their ratepaying residents.
Can you believe that motorists in Blantyre have been left in the care of the Almighty? There isn’t a single traffic light in the entire city that is functioning properly. It might show green on your side but don’t dare cross before praying because you might just be bashed by another motorist whose side of the lights is showing simply nothing.
The problem of faulty lights was there when motorists were made to pay K10 parking fee. Now the fee has been increased 100 percent but the problem is still there. Where on earth does the parking fee go? My guess is that the 100 percent increase hasn’t translated into an increase by 100 percent in the parking fee revenue that goes into city assembly coffers.
The parking fee is collected in a manner that is too primitive and inefficient to make sense. I bet 50 percent of the motorists drive off without being asked to pay. I also wonder what can stop a corrupt parking fee collector from selling the parking space at a discount without issuing tickets. Corrupt motorists won’t have problems with that age-old arrangement, will they?
Most likely, we’re paying more to finance inefficiency of the city fathers. But what do you expect from a city assembly that’s refusing to grow and stand on its feet despite growing wrinkles and grey hair?
Blantyre can advertise on three or four full pages names of rate defaulters but, probably because a good number of them have political clout or are unscrupulous business persons with connections in high places, the city fathers hardly take legal action to recover their lost revenue.
Anyone seems to be able to do what they please and get away with it. Blantyre has a K40 million flea market near its main market but vendors still ply their trade all over the place except in the flea market, peeing against walls of magnificent buildings (probably because the city privatised its toilets and nobody wants to spend a tambala because peeing against terrazzo finishing of great buildings is free), and paying nothing to the city. Were you surprised when Atcheya-chanting vendors last week demanded that a bank demolish its security enclosure so they could sell on its verandah?
Instead of having its own police to enforce city bylaws and tackle rising crime in the city, Blantyre, just like poor Chiradzulu, Ntchisi and Chitipa districts, depends on the Malawi Police Service which is too thin on personnel and resources to effectively curb crime in the growing city. The city can hardly replace faulty street lights on time. It depends on Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, a referral hospital for the entire Southern Region, to provide medical services to its ratepaying residents.
Which is why I find the announcement that the city fathers are preparing to chase away reconditioned car dealers from Chichiri most surprising. Could it be that these folks are too smart to play the ruthless Young Democrat that they are being targeted by a law that applies erratically and selectively?
Blantyre, my beautiful green city, has gone to the dogs.
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