The cut off point
* The bypass road has now turned into the only road currently under use following the destruction of the main tarmac road
* Community members have been fixing the road using their own resources for the past 15 years
* As authorities such as the Blantyre City Council have been neglecting the road despite various appeals
By Duncan Mlanjira
After the road between Chikapa and Area 10 in Machinjiri Township was cut off when the Makalanga Bridge that connects the two areas was swept away — due to the heavy rains that were accompanied by flash floods on Sunday — motorists have been using as access a 3km road that pass through Chikapa to Mbwanda in Area 2.
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But for a long time, this access road has been neglected and to show its importance community members in the area have threatened to close the 3km stretch to show their dissatisfaction over the authorities’ negligence.
The bypass road has now turned into the only road currently under use following the destruction of the main tarmac road that has been rendered impassable due to heavy rains that affected the area a few days ago.
One of the concerned residents in Area 6, Barnabas Komakoma, who is development community chairperson, has told the media that community members have been fixing the road using their own resources for the past 15 years as authorities such as the Blantyre City Council have been neglecting the road despite various appeals.
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However, the community members who have been repairing the stretch through their own resources have been angered as residents from affected areas have turned the stretch into an access following the cut off of the main Machinjiri tarmac road — and have since threatened to close it.
“We want to show our dissatisfaction that an important bypass like this has been neglected for a long time, but now forces of nature have exposed how important this road is,” Komakoma said.
The rains, that still keep pouring heavily greatly affected many parts of Blantyre and the hardest hit was Machinjiri, which Member of Parliament for Blantyre City East, John Bande has described the flooding and devastation caused by a heavy downpour in Machinjiri as traumatizing.
Depressing pictures are awash on social media of the devastation caused and Bande told the media that this disaster is first of its kind in the recent memory for residents in Machinjiri, who have had their property, crop fields and food swept away.
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Rumours that some people were swept away haven’t yet been confirmed but important stretch between Chikapa and Area 10 which has been washed away is an important business route to Limbe — especially for cargo trucks transiting from the M1 Road.
Many homes have been flooded in the Township as well as water pipes and electricity poles while in other locations such as Chilomoni, brick walls have collapsed following the incessant rains.
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This is the more reason why the road from area 5 populary known as nsewu wa Lambat to quarry connecting Zomba road should be bitumized right away.
How can such an important road be left in such a poor state?
This is really pathetic. In this Era, communities in urban area doing road maintenance with their own funds? What is the role of the district assembly then? Shame on the authorities