By Andrew Mkonda
Karonga, Mana: President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has said the country’s men in uniform deserve decent and durable accommodation for them to maintain peace and order professionally.
He was speaking at Karonga Community Ground after he launched construction of 10,000 staff houses for security institutions across the country at Ipiyana in Karonga District.
“The men in uniform work day and night to maintain peace and order in the country. But for many years, their work has not been recognised and even their welfare is always compromised.
“These are the people who put their lives and those of their families at risk because of the nature of their job.
“But for so long, we have not taken care of their welfare. We want that tendency to be a thing of the past,” said Chakwera.
He then called on the people in the country to appreciate and support the role played by security institutions for order to prevail in the country.
The President then warned the project’s contractors against corruption such as selling building materials, saying such behaviour leads to sub-standard work.
In his remarks, Minister of Lands and Housing, Kezzie Msukwa, said the construction of staff houses for security institutions is part of a lager housing program that government is geared to undertake to address shortage of houses in the country.
“This country is facing acute shortage of decent and permanent houses, not only in rural areas, but even in urban centres.
“The 2008 Population and Housing Census showed that only 21 per cent of the country’s housing stock comprised permanent houses while 34 per cent were semi-permanent.
“This means that the majority of Malawians have limited access to structurally stable and durable houses,” he said.
Msukwa disclosed that construction of the houses will be in phases across the country and that 1,000 will be completed in the first phase.
Malawi Defence Force and Malawi Police Service will get 4000 houses each while Malawi Prison Service and the Department of Immigration will have 1000 houses each.
The project will see 157 houses constructed at Ipyana for police, immigration and prison.
Later, the President also visited a site for the project on the extension of North Rukuru Dyke that will be implemented by the Malawi Defence Force in three months to the tune of K346 million.
