Motorists want authorities to account for the billions they collect from Chingeni and Kalinyeke tollgates meant for the M1 maintenance, which remains in poor condition. Drivers we talked to say the road—riddled with potholes and bumpy—damage their vehicles besides making it dangerous to drive on. “The tolled road is not being maintained.
The introduction of the tollgates gave me a lot of expectations since government promised better and well-maintained roads. However, what I am seeing is as good as having no tollgates. “Major roads remain bumpy with lots of potholes and our vehicles are subjected to rough surfaces.
This is costly as tyres and suspension systems get damaged quickly,” said Lilongwe-based motorist, Clement Salewa. Another motorist, Andrew Sitima, shared the same frustration: “I am not happy at all with the way funds collected at the tollgates are being used. Recently, there have not been any significant improvements or satisfactory maintenance of the M1.
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“It just feels like we are being scammed as motorists. When the tollgates were first opened, I expected the tolled road would be the best in the country, with a new surface and, above-all, a wider road from Blantyre to Lilongwe. Instead, we have only seen a few lights and some minor improvements.” Civil society leaders say motorists’ concerns are valid.
“When a road continues to deteriorate for years despite consistent revenue collection, then something is clearly not functioning as it should,” said Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation executive director Michael Kaiyatsa. He added that independent oversight involving civil society, engineers and community representatives was needed to ensure funds are used solely for road maintenance and safety improvements. Concerns over the poor state of the M1 have been heightened by allegations of theft of tollgate revenue.
“The stalled case of cashiers arrested in connection with theft of tollgate funds at Kalinyeke in March 2022 raises serious concerns. When allegations of theft involving public funds go unresolved, it erodes public trust and signals weak accountability mechanisms. The public deserves a transparent update on the status of the case, recovery of any stolen funds and assurance that safeguards have been strengthened,” noted Kaiyatsa.
On his part, Consumers Association of Malawi executive director John Kapito said the problem reflects wider misuse of levies and taxes. “The tollgate fees, just like the road levy, are paid for maintenance and construction of roads. Consumers are entitled to be informed periodically on the usage of such funds.
Unfortunately, in Malawi, that is never the case. What is even more worrying is that after paying through tollgates and the fuel levy, consumers continue to witness poor roads with impassable potholes,” he said. Kapito noted that the authorities appear more interested in collecting and abusing funds than in providing services.
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