* As a dry port, connecting Malawi to Nacala, Liwonde positions itself as a hub for Malawi’s development
* We had big companies here, but previous governments allowed them to collapse
By Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express & Leonard Masauli, MANA
President Lazarus Chakwera has described Liwonde Township as a critical point for national development, saying it has been earmarked as a secondary city to drive further economic growth in the Eastern and Southern regions.
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On his campaign whistle tour yesterday of the Eastern Region from the South, the President cited the railway line that connects Malawi to Mozambique’s Nacala Port as a key economic advantage.
He added that as a dry port, connecting Malawi to Nacala, Liwonde positions itself as a hub for Malawi’s development, saying: “We had big companies here, but previous governments allowed them to collapse.”
Liwonde is hive of activity for the railway line as on a daily basis, cargo trains carrying coal from Moatize in Mozambique passes through the township on its way to Nacala to be shipped beyond.
The Moatize to Nacala corridor that passes through Liwonde
The government of Mozambique, in conjunction with Malawi, built the rail from Moatize into Malawi through Mwanza, Neno and Nkaya in Balaka and rehabilitated the Nkaya-Liwonde-Nsanama, Ntaja and all the way to the border and into Nacala.
Liwonde railway station is also a vital link for passengers and transportation of merchandise to the Blantyre, Salima, Lilongwe and all the way to Mchinji — connecting through at Nkaya station.
In the past, Liwonde — which is also a tourism destination through its game national park that keeps the Big Five — was a business hub through the railway line and currently, passenger trains operate from Limbe to Balaka from where it goes through to the border with Mozambique via Liwonde, Nsanama and Ntaja in Machinga — two other stations that are situated at busy and crucial trading centres.
The President added that his government is working to attract businesses back to Liwonde by improving the road from Chingeni to Liwonde — with funding from the African Development Bank (ADB) to boost trade.
The long-awaited rehabilitation of the Nsipe-Liwonde M08 tarmac road excited motorists when the construction works commenced in April this year because using the Balaka-Liwonde road was a huge challenge as the road was in very bad shape characterised by deep potholes and sharp bends which most motorists endured just to reach their destinations.
A report by Malawi News Agency (MANA) back in April quoted some motorists along the route, who expressed their happiness with commencement of the construction works and urged government to speed up the project.
“I am a resident of Balaka and run a taxi business from here to Zomba,” Afiki James was quoted as saying. “This is the road I use every day and its so challenges because of its state.
“Last year I witnessed a tragic accident in which a mini bus hit to death a motorcyclist who was an agriculture extension officer as I was coming from the opposite direction from the minibus. All this happened because the minibus driver was trying to avoid a pothole.”
A truck driver, Lovemore Malikebu said the road construction is a welcome project as driving on the road needed more patience and tolerance.
“I normally load cement from Mangochi to Balaka and takes two hours on the Liwonde-Balaka stretch. I hope the construction of the road will reduce the time. This road is a death trap and I am so delighted to see that works have commenced,” he had said.
Business warehouse in Liwonde and a passenger train passing through
According to Road Authority, the K74 billion road will have modern features such as roundabout at Chingeni turn-off, an overpass at Balaka railway intersection and a modern market at Chiyendausiku Trading Centre.
The 55-km road project, which is expected to be completed in April 2026, will be implemented with funding from Malawi Government, European Union and African Development Bank.
The Roads Authority says the development objective of the project “is to contribute to regional integration and trade facilitation for Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia”.
“Additionally, the project will contribute to the reduction of transportation costs along the Nacala Road Corridor, which is expected to enhance Malawi’s trade competitiveness because the Nacala Port is the closest major seaport for Malawi.”
To complement the development of Liwonde as a secondary city, Southern Region Water Board (SRWB) rolled out a robust upgrading of its system by extending water pipelines to Balaka tapping water from the Shire River.
Liwonde’s Kamuzu Barrage on Shire River
There had been serious water supply challenges that people of Liwonde and Balaka were facing over the past years and after the adoption of environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) in accordance with the requirements of the Environment Management Act (2017).
Construction started and is expected to run for 18 months from November, 2025, which is financed by the European Investment Bank at K88 billion.
For the past years, SRWB has been relying on tapping water from Mpira Dam in Ntcheu for Balaka communities but the dam dried up due to siltation, leaving them with no option for possible water source.
SRWB will be tapping water from the Shire River to be distributed in all the areas along the way up to Chingeni with provision of water reservoir tanks along the distribution line at Sosola with a capacity 1,500 litres; at Chiyenda Usiku 500,000 litres and Chingeni 250,000 litres.
On his whistle stop, President Chakwera also emphasised government support for economic empowerment through the National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF), particularly for people affected by floods and other climate-related shocks.
“We are making NEEF agro-oriented to help people improve livelihoods through irrigation farming and mitigate the effects of climate change,” he said.
Chakwera also highlighted the role of his running mate, Vitumbiko Mumba in negotiating commodity price reductions to protect citizens from artificially inflated prices.
After his stop in Liwonde, the President visited Nsanama and Ntaja trading centres before proceeding to Mangochi.—Additional reporting on Liwonde-Balaka M08 road by Mary Makhiringa, MANA
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