Court injunction stalls development plan for 10 years in campaign

Weary from decades of neglect, many buildings in Blantyre and Limbe’s central business districts are visibly failing: cracked walls, leaning sun‑baked bricks strapped with wires, collapsing ceilings and rusting iron sheets. And in between some of the cracks, there are plants sprouting. Narrow alleys reek of urine and shelter street‑connected children.

Vendors and pedestrians squeeze through corridors where loose timber and falling brickwork threaten anyone below. Worse still, clothes are seen hanging on balconies as some are residential buildings, contrary to the city’s by-laws. The decay is not accidental.

In 2016, 54 property developers obtained a temporary injunction that prevented Blantyre City Council (BCC) from carrying out its Red Star Campaign, a development strategy launched in February 2015 to modernise the city and enforce higher infrastructure standards. It was launched by President Peter Mutharika during his first term as head of State. But the injunction has effectively frozen enforcement actions, including demolition of condemned structures.

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But when asked why the council has failed to lift the injunction for a decade now, BCC chief executive officer Dennis Chinseu on Tuesday claimed the council is waiting for a determination on the matter after presenting its arguments before the court to lift the temporary relief. He said: “The council presented its arguments against the injunction and the presiding judge is to make the ruling. So, we are just waiting for a date.” However, Chinseu did not name the judge and the exact dates when they presented their arguments.

But when asked about the delays regarding the purported determination as claimed by Chinseu, Judiciary chief corporate affairs and public relations Ruth Mputeni on Wednesday said she could not locate the case file. She asked this reporter to liaise with the BCC legal team to provide the case file number for easy tracking. Chinseu later referred the issue to BCC legal services manager Mphatso Matandika who was yet to comment by the time we went to press. Nevertheless, Chinseu said the council is engaging with some property developers to work on their buildings to ensure the issue of substandard structures is effectively addressed.

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