By Manasse Nyirenda
Rumphi, Mana: Vice-President Saulos Chilima has assured Malawians that the Njakwa-Livingstonia Road will be completed and ready for use by November, 2021.
The Vice-President made the remarks at the end of his inspection of construction projects in Rumphi District where he inspected the Njakwa-Livingstonia Road, Rumphi-Nyika-Chitipa Road and Rumphi Teachers Training College (TTC).
Government promised to complete all projects that were started by the immediate-past administration.
Chilima told the media at Bolero in the district that for Njakwa-Livingstonia Road, Roads Fund Administration has assured him that funding would no longer be an issue and that the road would be completed within six months.
The VP also assured Malawians of government’s commitment to deliver quality projects to Malawians.
“To start with where we are coming from, we have seen the Livingstonia Njakwa. My impression of it is that the parts that have been done and which we have seen, there is still a lot of work to be done.
“But one thing that is good is that the road is quite wide and because it is going to be used as an alternate to the M1.
“The design that we have agreed with Roads Authority is that all roads must be first grade. So, that assurance has been given. The commitment made is that the whole stretch spanning 73 kilometres will be completed committed in six months which basically means by November,” he said.
He also assured people who had gathered at Bolero to see him that all that the President, Lazarus Chakwera and himself promised during the campaign, would be delivered.
He attributed the slow progress in implementation of some campaign promises to the COVID-19 pandemic which has slowed down economies across the world.
For Rumphi TTC, which is jointly funded by Malawi Government and a donor partner, he said he was impressed with the structure and was optimistic the funds required for its completion, which is under K3 billion, would be made available.
An official of the contractor, Sir Nicolas Gianlucca Bizzaro, concurred with the VP that funding was what delayed the completion for the TTC project and that once funds were made available, the project would be completed by the end of the year.
After visiting the construction projects, Chilima held a meeting on reforms progress with Rumphi District Council at the council’s headquarters.
He was, later in the afternoon expected to visit Mzuzu University’s Library which is under rehabilitation and meet Mzuzu City Council officials to get an update of reforms being implemented.
Roads Authority Board Chairperson, Paramount Chief M’mbelwa of Mzimba and Acing District Commissioner for Rumphi, Macphine Mzumara joined the VP on the tour of projects in the district.
