K6.7 billion for city roads

By DEBORAH NYANGULU-CHIPOFYA

Roads Authority (RA) has set aside K6.7 billion for the rehabilitation and resealing of roads in the cities of Lilongwe, Blantyre and Zomba.

Briefing the press in Lilongwe Wednesday, RA Chief Executive Officer Paul Kulemeka said the funds would be realised from the fuel levy.

“The rehabilitation works will include re-cycling of the existing base, shoulder reconditioning, repair and lining of road side drains, road markings and installation of traffic lights,” Kulemeka said.

He said in an interview that the K6.7 billion budget was a projection of money to be realised from the fuel levy between February this year and September next year when the road works are expected to be completed.

Kulemeka said the rehabilitation works are expected to last 15 months from June 15 this year to September 15 next year and would cover 128km of road.

He said several contractors had been engaged for the works.

In Lilongwe, Kulemeka said, the works will be done by three contractors, Mota Engil, Cilcon/SR Nicholas JV and Master Construction.

Bua Consulting Engineers have been contracted to supervise the works in Lilongwe.

The works in Zomba will be done by Mkaka Construction and Fargo Limited with EMC Jatula Associates supervising the works.

Mota Engil, Fargo Limited and Cilcon/SR Nicholas JV will also handle the work in Blantyre with Mphizi Consulting Engineers supervising them.

The road maintenance will not be restricted to town roads in the cities but will even go in the residential areas, according to Kulemeka.

Malawi sees bumper maize harvest

Malawi expects its biggest maize crop in more
than a decade. An official said the country could harvest 3.4 million
tonnes of maize in 2008/09 versus 3.2 million tonnes in the previous
season.


The crop would be the country's third consecutive surplus since the
fertiliser and seed subsidy programme started in the poor yet
fast-growing economy in 2005. The national maize consumption is 2.2
million tonnes.


"We have recorded a surplus of 1.2 million tonnes this year and we
plan to double this next year because Malawi has good soils and the
subsidy programme will be more targeted," Mr Andrew Daudi, principal
secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture told Reuters.


The estimate for the 2008/09 season was based on the second round crop estimate.



The final maize harvest is due in about two months, he said.
Malawi's previous highest maize harvest was in the 2007/08 season. The
maize season runs from November to April.


Malawi is a net food exporter and has seen three years of growth above 7 percent in the country of 13 million.



The Economist Intelligence Unit forecast Malawi will have the
world's fastest growing economy after Qatar this year, but annual gross
domestic product is estimated at only $313 per capita.

Malawi President seeks reconciliation with opposition party

Malawi President Bingu Wa Mutharika has
extended a hand of reconciliation to former president Bakili Muluzi and
opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leader John Tembo on condition
that the two apologize for what he calls violation of his integrity
during and before the recent election campaign, Xinhua reported.

    Speaking to Malawians through a special program aired Sunday on
state radio and television, Mutharika emphasized that politics of
vengeance should be a thing of the past and that he would want Muluzi
and Tembo to be part of rebuilding of a new Malawi.

    Mutharika said he has power through his majority government to do
whatever he wants but he was now looking at mature politics.

    The president said Tembo warned that if he won the State House
race, he would deal with Mutharika. He alleged that some people were
given instructions to arrest him once Tembo was inaugurated as State
President.

    "Should I deal with Tembo now? Is that the way we want to run government?" he asked.

    "Muluzi used to say he can deflate the tyre he inflated, he had no
development agenda but just to remove me. So that's why I say look, let
us have reconciliation but it does not mean that those people who
violated the law will go scot-free..but in terms of political bickering
and the kind of things we were doing, I say let's forget it," Mutharika
said.

    The president added that he was now looking at mature politics because he was a leader not a ruler.

    On his part, Muluzi said he quickly congratulated Mutharika on his
re-election because he was peace to prevail and not bloodshed adding he
believes in democracy and welcomed Mutharika's statement that the
nation should move on and that there would be no vengeance.

    MCP spokesperson Nancy Tembo said the party's president did not say
anything derogatory against the president but just criticized his
various policies like the agricultural subsidy program.

    "It is the wish of MCP to see positive coexistence and respect for
each other. We might differ on some issues but we don't get personal,"
she said.

    Meanwhile, a legal expert told Xinhua that members of Parliament
have the powers to remove Tembo as leader of opposition group in
Parliament by amending the House's Standing Orders since the position
is not constitutional.

    Tembo has been leader of opposition group for the past five years,
Justin Dzonzi said, adding that "strictly speaking, the position of
leader of opposition just like the position of leader of the House, is
not a constitutional position or a legal position as such. The position
is an administrative one governed by Standing Orders."

    He said if need arises legislators can amend the Standing Orders without problems.

    However, a political analyst from the University of Malawi, Mustafa
Hussein, has warned that removing Tembo from position of leader of
opposition will weaken further the already frail opposition, which lost
its supremacy during the elections after the ruling Democratic
Progressive Party took a total of 114 seats against opposition's 44.