Haile Selassie TOTAL is next to 24-hour BreadTalk bakery ovens
* As Blantyre City Council grants developers to construct filling station along Victoria Avenue, 100m away from Blantyre Sports Club’s busy kitchen
* Jolts the public to take note of other fuel service stations operating next to 24-hour bakery ovens
* That includes TOTAL along Haile Selassie next to BreadTalk, PUMA Chitawira next to Laher Bakery, TOTAL Hannover Street next to Ryalls Hotels, and others
By Duncan Mlanjira
Blantyre Sports Club management has alerted its members of a concern it has taken note of that there is construction works being undertaken along the Victoria Avenue, which is designed for a fuel filling station.
A notice to the members — issued by the Sports Club’s General Manager, Ronuel Malikita on Tuesday, November 10 — alerts the members that the concern is that a filling station at this location will disrupt the club’s day-to-day operations.
The construction is taking place on the bare land between Delamare House and Blantyre Sports Club, opposite the Immigration Department, which is about 100 meters from the Club’s kitchen.
“A fuel leak, fire or other accidents to close to the kitchen could put members, staff and guests at risk,” says the notice. “Management is taking legal steps to address the matter.
“As members and owners of the Club, we request your support to strengthen our objection. You can help by petitioning the Blantyre City Council or the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA).
“We also welcome any suggestions and practical help,” says the notice from Malikita to the members, which has gone viral on social media.
It has thus jolted the public to take note that they are plenty of such fuel filling stations that expose high risks to explosions due to close proximity to industrial kitchen ovens.
BreadTalk Bakery at Haile Selassie TOTAL
In Blantyre central business district (CBD), they include TOTAL along Haile Selassie Road next to BreadTalk bakery and TOTAL Hannover Street next to Ryalls Hotels kitchens.
Elsewhere, it is next PUMA Chitawira next to Laher Bakery, next to Castel Malawi brewery and Coca-Cola plant Southern Bottlers along Makata Road, next to Illovo Sugar Malawi warehouses, and many other places.
An observer also took note that during fuel crisis, entrance to and exit from Ryalls Hotel is always blocked — while another observed that a TOTAL filling station was allowed to be erected along Magalasi Road in Nyambadwe only 50 metres from Blantyre Girls Primary School.
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In 2023, red flags were raised when Blantyre City Council granted a plot to a Malawian of Asian origin on a wetland area situated in Mount Pleasant along Victoria Avenue close to Malawi Blood Transfusion and PSI just after Victoria Gardens from Catholic Institute (CI).
The Asian was accused of cutting corners within government authorities to acquire land — that included land he acquired in Limbe, along the Robert Mugabe Highway, on which he constructed a service station.
Another was along Masauko Chipembere Highway near Mandala Flats and the Nyambadwe Total Blantyre Girls Primary School.
The red flag was raised by a concerned resident close to the plot, who took note on social media that previously they were told by Blantyre City Council that no construction is supposed to take place on this land since it is a wetland.
In August 2028, Nyasa Times reported that an Asian was under probe by the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) and other law-enforcing agencies for allegedly forging corrupt relationship with some influential Blantyre City Council officials who used shortcuts to offer him commercial land.
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