By Mary Makhiringa
Balaka District Council is set to install solar-powered street lights along Balaka-Town by-pass road, and the council will also rehabilitate a community hall to boost business activities in the district.
The first phase of the installation of solar-powered street lights will cost about K60 million from Regional Climate Resilience Project (RCRP), and K125 million District Development Fund (DDF) for modernizing the hall will help the town be crime free, especially at night.
Speaking on Saturday when he introduced the projects to authorities, District Commissioner (DC) for Balaka, Bibu Yusuf Mdala, said he was determined to transform the face of the district with modern infrastructures that also align with vision 2063.
Mdala said apart from enhancing security, the street lights also improve the economic activities in Balaka as people will be able to operate their businesses even during old hours.
“Political campaign period is over, let us all work together and improve the welfare of our people in Balaka. You may agree with me that after rehabilitating this community hall, the council will be able to generate revenue that will help sustain some of its initiatives,” he said.
Chairperson for Balaka District Council, Councilor Hastings Maluwa, commended the council for the projects, adding that it was high time the council to embarked on innovative approaches for generating income.
“The current government is encouraging local councils to develop modern means of generating revenue hence, the rehabilitation of this hall will help us get additional money from bookings,” he added.
Logistics Manager for Twende Contractors responsible for the Community Hall project, Chipiliro Mselemu, assured the officials of high-quality workmanship, with a time-frame of three months, starting January 2026.
He appealed for strong support from authorities in securing the project resources.
