Residents along the Lirangwe-Lundu-Mulumbe-Chingale-Machinga Road are pleased with the progress of the project to upgrade the 63-kilometer stretch to bitumen standards.
Feston Kambiya, a resident of Katete Village in Blantyre’s T/A Lundu, expressed hope that President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera’s government will fulfill its promise to construct the road, after the previous administration failed to do so.
Kambiya noted that work has already begun, with contractors setting up camps at Msambamwali in Blantyre and Namatumu in Zomba.
Tereza Joseph, a resident of Chingale in Zomba District, highlighted the challenges the poor road network has created, particularly in accessing healthcare in Zomba and Blantyre.
“We often rely on motorcycle taxis (Kabaza), which cost K10,000 from Chingale to Lirangwe Trading Center due to the bad road conditions,” she said.
Parents near Linjidzi Primary School also voiced their concerns, saying they had lost hope until President Chakwera included the project in the 2025-2026 national budget. They remain hopeful that this time, the government will deliver.
Kabaza operators echoed similar sentiments, lamenting that previous administrations, including the People’s Party and the DPP, only laid foundation stones without actual progress.
“It has been almost 20 years since the government promised this road. Now, at last, we see light during noon hours. As road users, we need better infrastructure and are giving President Chakwera a chance until 2030,” they said.
