malawi: blantyre urban profile

8/12/2019 Malawi: Blantyre Urban Profile

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Regional and Technical Cooperation Division

MALAWI:

BLAN YRE URBAN PROFILE

INSER PIC URE


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Copyright United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABI A ), 2011 All rights reserved

United Nations Human Settlements Programme publications can be obtained fromUN-HABI A Regional and Information Offices or directly from:P.O. Box 30030, GPO 00100 Nairobi, Kenya.Fax: + (254 20) 762 4266/7E-mail: [email protected]

Website: http://www.unhabitat.org

Tis Blantyre report and project was prepared and managed by the Late Dalitso Mpoola, Costly Chanza, Fred Nankuyu,Hilary Kamela, the Late Marcel Kaunda, Alex Chirambo, Lucky Kabanga, Mavuto D. embo, Dominic Kamlomo, and

John Chome in Malawi.

Tis report was also managed by Kerstin Sommer, Alain Grimard, David Kithakye, Mathias Spaliviero, and Doudou Mbyein Nairobi.

HS Number: HS/085/11E

ISBN Number(Volume): 978-92-1-132377-1

DISCLAIMER

Te designation employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of anyopinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory,

city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries, or regarding its economic systemor degree of development. Te analysis, conclusions and recommendations of the report do not necessarily reect the viewsof the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABI A ), the Governing Council of UN-HABI A or itsMember States. Tis document has been produced with the nancial assistance of the European Union. Te views expressedherein can in no way be taken to reect the official opinion of the European Union.

Excerpts from this publication may be reproduced without authorisation, on condition that the source is indicated.

Photo credits: UN-HABI A

ACKNOWLEDGEMEN S

Design and Layout: Florence Kuria


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FOREWORDS 5

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 8

BACKGROUND 10

GOVERNANCE 15

SLUMS AND SHELTER 17

GENDER AND HIV/AIDS 20

ENVIRONMENT AND URBAN DISASTER RISKS 22

LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 25

BASIC URBAN SERVICES 28

LAND 33

PROJECT PROPOSALS

GOVERNANCE 35

SLUMS AND SHELTER 37

GENDER AND HIV/AIDS 39

ENVIRONMENT AND URBAN DISASTER RISKS 41

LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 44BASIC URBAN SERVICES 46

LAND 52

TABLE OF CONTENTS

MALAWI:BLAN YRE URBAN PROFILE

UNITED NATIONS HUMAN SETTLEMENTS PROGRAMMEREGIONAL AND TECHNICAL COOPERATION DIVISION


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F O R E W O R D S

FOREWORDS

According toresearch publishedin UN-HABI A s1 agship report, TeState of the WorldsCities 2010-2011,all developingregions, includingthe African,Caribbean andPacic states, willhave more peopleliving in urban thanrural areas by theyear 2030. Withhalf the worldspopulation already living in urban areas, the challenges

we face in the battle against urban poverty, our quest forcities without slums, for cities where women feel safer,for inclusive cities with power, water and sanitation,and affordable transport, for better planned cities, andfor cleaner, greener cities is daunting.

But as this series shows, there are many interestingsolutions and best practices to which we can turn. Afterall, the gures tell us that during the decade 2000 to2010, a total of 227 million people in the developingcountries moved out of slum conditions. In other

words, governments, cities and partner institutions havecollectively exceeded the slum target of the MillenniumDevelopment Goals twice over and ten years ahead ofthe agreed 2020 deadline.

Asia and the Pacic stood at the forefront of successfulefforts to reach the slum target, with all governmentsin the region improving the lives of an estimated 172million slum dwellers between 2000 and 2010.

In sub-Saharan Africa though, the total proportion ofthe urban population living in slums has decreased byonly 5 per cent (or 17 million people). Ghana, Senegal,Uganda, and Rwanda were the most successful countriesin the sub-region, reducing the proportions of slumdwellers by over one-fth in the last decade.Some 13 per cent of the progress made towards theglobal slum target occurred in Latin America and theCaribbean, where an estimated 30 million people havemoved out of slum conditions since the year 2000.

Yet, UN-HABI A estimates conrm that the progressmade on the slum target has not been sufficient to counterthe demographic expansion in informal settlements inthe developing world. In this sense, efforts to reduce thenumbers of slum dwellers are neither satisfactory noradequate.

1 UN-HABITAT - United Nations Human Settlements Programme

As part of our drive to address this crisis, UN-HABI Ais working with the European Commission and theBrussels-based Secretariat of the African, Caribbeanand Pacic (ACP) Group to support sustainable urbandevelopment. Given the urgent and diverse needs, wefound it necessary to develop a tool for rapid assessmentand strategic planning to guide immediate, mid andlong-term interventions. And here we have it in theform of this series of publications.

Te Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme is basedon the policy dialogue between UN-HABI A , the

ACP Secretariat and the European Commission whichdates back to the year 2002. When the three parties metat UN-HABI A headquarters in June 2009, more

than 200 delegates from over 50 countries approved aresounding call on the international community to paygreater attention to these urbanization matters, and toextend the slum upgrading programme to all countriesin the ACP Group.

It is worth recalling here how grateful we are that theEuropean Commissions 9th European DevelopmentFund for ACP countries provided EUR 4 million (USD5.7 million at June 2011 rates) to enable UN-HABI Ato conduct the programme which now serves 59 citiesin 23 African countries, and more than 20 cities in sixPacic, and four Caribbean countries.

Indeed, since its inception in 2008, the slum upgradingprogramme has achieved the condence of partners atcity and country level in Africa, the Caribbean and inthe Pacic. It is making a major contribution aimedat helping in urban poverty reduction efforts, as eachreport in this series shows."

I wish to express my gratitude to the EuropeanCommission and the ACP Secretariat for theircommitment to this slum upgrading programme. Ihave every condence that the results outlined in thisprole, and others, will serve to guide the developmentof responses for capacity building and investments inthe urban sector.

Further, I would like to thank each Country eam fortheir continued support to this process which is essentialfor the successful implementation of the ParticipatorySlum Upgrading Programme.

Dr. Joan ClosExecutive Director, UN-HABI A


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FOREWORDS

Poverty reduction is the Malawi Governments

overriding development objective as espoused in theMalawi Growth and Development Strategy. In line with this, the government recognizes the critical roleplayed by the cities and other urban centres in thesocio-economic development of this country. Trivingand well functioning cities will in turn lead to thrivingnational economic development.

Our cities and other urban areas which are growingrapidly face a number of challenges, key amongthem that of urban poverty that is characterized by,among others, poor housing, poor access to water andsanitation as well as unemployment. Te cities also faceenvironmental challenges that are in part heightened by

poor urban planning and environmental degradation.Te government therefore welcomes the ParticipatorySlum Upgrading Programme (PSUP) that iscoordinated by the Ministry of Local Government andRural Development and is being implemented in all thefour cities of Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu, and Zomba.Te urban prole for Blantyre City is an importantdocument that sets out the key challenges faced bythe city in the areas of urban governance, land andhousing, slums, basic urban services including waterand sanitation, local economic development, genderand HIV/AIDS, energy, disaster risks, environment,and waste management.

Trough a consultative process of city stakeholders,the city council has identied the priority actions to becarried out in support of efforts to achieve sustainableurban development and reduce urban poverty. Techallenge is now to move forward to implement thesepriority actions that seek to improve the quality of lifeof the urban poor. In this regard, the Government ofMalawi will continue to support the city council underthe decentralized framework in achieving the povertyreduction goals. Blantyre City Council (BCC) will needto redouble its efforts and ensure that more resourcesare allocated towards pro-poor activities in the city. Tegoal of ensuring sustainable urban development andpoverty reduction cannot be achieved by the effortsof the central government and the city councils alone.More importantly, it will need the concerted efforts ofall stakeholders involved in the development of Blantyreincluding the private sector, civil society, political andcommunity leaders, development partners, and cityresidents.

Te Government of Malawi would like to thank UN-

HABI A1

, the European Union and the ACP2

Groupof States for the technical and nancial support towardsthe formulation of this prole. Te commendable role ofMzuzu University in facilitating the process of the urbanprole formulation as well as that of the chief executive,the PSUP city focal point, and management of BlantyreCity Council is appreciated. Special mention is made ofthe rst National Coordinator of the PSUP in Malawi,the late Mr. Dalitso Mpoola who dedicated his time,skills and efforts to ensure the successful implementationof this phase. May his soul rest in peace.

Kester E. KaphaiziPrincipal SecretaryMinistry of Local Governmentand Rural Development

1 UN-HABITAT - United Nations Human Settlements Programme2 ACP - Africa, Caribbean and Pacic Group of States


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F O R E W O R D S

In Malawi, the urbanproling exercise

was undertakenunder the leadershipof national and localauthorities. Tisinitiative has beencarried out locally inBlantyre, Lilongwe,Mzuzu and Zombacities as well asnationally.

Te Blantyre UrbanProle focuses

on the ndingsof a desk-study,interviews with key actors and a town hall consultation

with key urban actors and institutions. Consultationparticipants agreed to address the salient urban issuesincluding Governance, Local Economic Development,Land, Gender, Environment, Slums and Shelter,Basic Urban Services and Waste Management, andall problems that negatively affect investments andeconomic development.

Blantyre City faces many problems such as rapidurbanization, low income levels, lack of housing nance,lack of land for city expansion, and human capacitydeciencies among others. Tese factors have led tothe mushrooming and growth of informal settlementsin the city. ypical characteristics of such settlementsare insecure tenure, lack of basic urban services andinfrastructure, informal land delivery systems, andinefficient housing markets. Prompt actions willtherefore be taken to overcome the challenges andensure lasting and positive change.

Blantyre City Council is committed to improvingliving conditions in the city through its participationin upgrading initiatives and other developmentprogrammes with various stakeholders. Tese initiatives

will help the city grow from strength to strength. Teyare also in line with Malawis development instrumentsenshrined in the constitution of Malawi, and conformto policy initiatives articulated in the Malawi Growthand Development Strategy (MGDS).

I wish to acknowledge the technical and nancial supportreceived from UN-HABI A in the formulation of thisurban prole.

I would like to thank the Government of Malawithrough the Ministry of Local Government and RuralDevelopment (MLGRD) who are providing nationalleadership to this programme, Ministry of Lands,Housing and Urban Development (MLHUD), MzuzuUniversity who facilitated the process of coming up

with the prole, and the staff of Blantye City Counciland in particular Costly Chanza, the Programmes cityfocal point and all those who have participated in andsupported this initiative.

In a special way I would like to express my deepestgratitude and acknowledge the tireless efforts of thelate Dalitso Mpoola, then National Coordinator of theParticipatory Slum Upgrading Programme in Malawi,

who supported and committed himself to this initiative.May his soul rest in peace.

Te City of Blantyre now has an important tool that willenable it to move forward in addressing the challengeof urban poverty. Addressing urban poverty requires aconcerted effort by all stakeholders. I therefore wish toinvite all stakeholders and all our development partnersto support the city of Blantyre in its efforts to attain theMillennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Emmanuel ed NandoloChief Executive OfficerBlantyre City Council


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EXECUTIVE

SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

Te Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme (PSUP)is an accelerated and action-oriented urban assessmentof needs and capacity-building gaps at the city level. Teprogramme is supported by funds from the EuropeanCommissions European Development Fund and it iscurrently being implemented in 23 African countries,59 African cities, 4 Pacic countries, 3 Caribbeancountries, and 21 Pacic and Caribbean cities. PSUPuses a structured approach where priority interventionsare agreed upon through consultative processes. TePSUP methodology consists of three phases: (1) arapid participatory urban proling at national andlocal levels, focusing on Governance, Local Economic

Development, Land, Gender, Environment, Slums andShelter, Basic Urban Services, and Waste Management,and proposed interventions; (2) detailed priorityproposals; and (3) project implementation. PSUPin Malawi encompasses a national prole, as well asproles for Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Zomba,each published as a separate report. Tis is the BlantyreCity report and it constitutes a general background,a synthesis of the seven themes; Governance, LocalEconomic Development, Land, Gender, Environmentand Urban Disaster Risks, Slums and Shelter, and BasicUrban Services, and priority project proposals.

BACKGROUNDBlantyre City is the oldest urban centre in Malawi,established by the Scottish Missionaries in the 1870sand declared a planning area in 1897. It is the hub forcommunication, commercial activities and cooperationin Malawi. Te inuence of Blantyre declined whenLilongwe became the capital city in 1975. However, it hasmaintained its grip as the commercial capital of Malawi.Te city offers a number of economic opportunities butlacks resources to meaningfully implement its strategiesand provide the required basic social infrastructure andurban services required for economic development to

take place. Over 65 percent of the citys population livesin informal settlements which occupy about 23 percentof the land in Blanytre1. Poverty stands at 24 percent

while unemployment stands at 8 percent2. Improvedgovernance, revenue collection and managementcapacity are seen as major factors needed for reducingpoverty in the city. Te establishment of a developmentcoordinating committee (DCC) is vital for encouragingparticipation and city management. Policies must beformulated and implemented to address the existingshortfalls and such policies should be pro-poor.Improvement and expansion of service delivery, planningcapacity and nancial management is a necessity.

1 Blantyre City Assembly, 2000, vol. I. Blantyre Urban Structure Plan BackgroundReport.

2 National Statistical Ofce, 2008, Statistical Yearbook.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

All in all, the leadership of Blantyre should embracegood governance through principles of sustainability,subsidiarity, equity, transparency and accountability,civic engagement and citizenship, and security.

GOVERNANCEBlantyre has a participatory and democratic system ofgovernance. Councilors are elected by city residents

while the mayor is elected from among the councilors.Te secretariat comprises of appointed staff members,and together with civil society groups and theregulatory authority of the central government, makethe governance system. Some of the major challengesfacing governance in Blantyre are lack of security oftenure and land governance, corruption, inadequatehuman capacity and poor billing system, and lack oftransparency leading to low revenue collection. Socialinfrastructure is poorly maintained and the poor do nothave access to the basic urban services. Efficient citymanagement systems must be put in place to addressthese challenges. Public participation should also beencouraged in city development and management.

LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Blantyre is the commercial and communication hub forMalawi and it offers various economic opportunities. About 45 percent of Blantyres residents are employedin the private sector, 12 percent are employed in thepublic sector, and 36 percent are self-employed andmainly working in the informal sector. Poverty rates inBlantyre stand at about 24 percent. Poverty is acceleratedby the steady increase in prices of basic commoditiessuch as food and the high rates of unemployment.Local authorities need to provide land for investmentand incentives to encourage foreign investment and thesetting up of businesses which will lead to job creation,as proposed in the Blantyre Urban Structure Plan(2000).


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E X E C U T I V E

S U M M A R Y

LAND

Land in the city is owned by the central government,Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC), the privatesector, and Blantyre City Council. Te multiplicity ofland owners makes land management difficult3. Some 43percent of land in Blanytre is planned residential land,22 percent is unplanned, and 21 percent is semi-rural.Only the medium and high income classes have accessto serviced land for housing. Blantyre City Council isthe sole provider of high density plots. Accessibility isopen to everyone on a rst-come rst-served basis.

Te city council needs to ensure that the poor haveaccess to serviced land in order to reduce squattingand to meet the millennium development goals onimproving access to land for housing for the poor.

GENDERIn Blantyre, literacy levels up to secondary educationare almost equal for males and females, but disparitiesappear beyond this level. Te government of Malawisupports gender equality and affirmative action for

women. Some of the major challenges facing women inBlantyre include gender based violence and inequality

in the workplace. Tere is need for a gender policy atthe local level to adequately address these issues.

ENVIRONMENT AND URBANDISASTER RISKSRapid population growth, poor enforcement ofenvironmental regulations and poor waste managementpractices have led to environmental degradation,pollution, deforestation, and uncontrolled developmenton fragile land. Effluents from pit latrines, industriesand households into rivers and streams have resulted inthe contamination of water bodies. Te planned areashave full access to the basic urban services while theinformal areas do not have adequate access. Tere isindiscriminate dumping of waste on the roadsides andin open spaces. Adequate policies must be put in orderto address these issues and prevent further degradationof the environment.

3 UN-HABITAT, 2010, Malawi Urban Housing Sector Prole.

SLUMS AND SHELTER

Te population of Blantyre stood at 661,256 people in2008 with a growth rate of 2.8 percent4. Over 65 percentof the population live in informal settlements withpoor living conditions. Te informal settlements willcontinue to grow given the ever increasing population,if no policies are put in place to arrest this situation.Tere is need to involve stakeholders from all sectors inthe formulation and implementation of slum upgradingpolicies and programmes.

BASIC URBAN SERVICES

Most informal settlements have poor infrastructureand little or no access to the basic urban services. Tecity coordinates provision of community water supplyto the informal settlements and the communitiesapply for water connection through the CommunityDevelopment Committee (CDC). Te planned areashowever, which are occupied by the middle and highincome groups, have adequate access to basic urbanservices.

4 National Statistical Ofce, September 2009. Population and Housing Census2008, Main Report.


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BLANTYREURBANPROFILE-BACKGROUND

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BACKGROUND

INTRODUCTION

Urban Proling Te Blantyre Urban Proling consists of an accelerated,action-oriented assessment of urban conditions,focusing on priority needs, capacity gaps, and existinginstitutional responses at local and national levels.Te purpose of the study is to develop urban povertyreduction policies at local, national, and regionallevels, through an assessment of needs and responsemechanisms, and as a contribution to the wider-rangingimplementation of the Millennium Development Goals.Te study is based on analysis of existing data and aseries of interviews with all relevant urban stakeholders,including local communities and institutions, civilsociety, the private sector, development partners,academics, and others. Te consultation typicallyresults in a collective agreement on priorities and theirdevelopment into proposed capacity-building and otherprojects that are all aimed at urban poverty reduction.Te urban proling is being implemented in 30 ACP 1 countries, offering an opportunity for comparativeregional analysis. Once completed, this series of studies

will provide a framework for central and local authoritiesand urban actors, as well as donors and external supportagencies.

Te urban proling national team met in Salima at

Lakeside Hotel from 16th to 19th February 2009 tolocalize the questionnaires for each selected themeby assessing the relevance of questions to the localcontext, identifying and lling gaps where possibleand identifying possible local data sources. Duringthe data collection exercise, about 30 people andinstitutions (public and private) were interviewed,including four non-governmental and communitybased organizations (CBOs), three parastatals, twomicro-nance institutions, the police, the Departmentof Environmental Affairs, and several other relevantgovernment ministries. welve Blantyre City Councilofficials were also interviewed.

METHODOLOGY

Te Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme consists of three phases:

Phase one consists of the rapid proling of urbanconditions at national and local levels. Te capital city,a medium-sized city, and a small town are selectedand studied to provide a representative sample ineach country. Te analysis focuses on eight themes;governance, local economic development, land, gender,environment, slums and shelter, basic urban services,and waste management. Information is collectedthrough standard interviews and discussions withinstitutions and key informants, in order to assessthe strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats1 ACP - African, Caribbean and Pacic Group of States

(SWO ) of the national and local urban set-ups. Tendings are presented and rened during city andnational consultation workshops and consensus isreached regarding priority interventions. National andcity reports synthesise the information collected andoutline ways forward to reduce urban poverty throughholistic approaches.

Phase two builds on the priorities identied throughpre-feasibility studies and develops detailed capacity-building and capital investment projects.

Phase three implements the projects developedduring the two earlier phases, with an emphasis onskills development, institutional strengthening, and

replication.Tis report presents the outcomes of Phase One at thelocal level in Blantyre.

URBAN PROFILING IN BLANTYRE

Te urban proling in Blantyre is one of four similarexercises conducted in Malawi; the other urban prolingcentres are Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Zomba.

Blantyre City Council representatives participatedin the national consultation process, a partnershipplatform co-developed together with Malawis Ministryof Local Government, the Ministry of Lands, Housingand Urban Development, parastatals, and national andinternational non-governmental organizations (NGOs).Te aim was to develop options for formal inter-agencycollaboration in order to create a coordination bodyintegrating a wide range of urban stakeholders in asingle response mechanism.

REPORT STRUCTURE

Tis report consists of:

1. a general background of the urban sector inBlantyre, based on the ndings of the Blantyre City

Assessment Report, a desk study, interviews, and acity consultation that was held in Blantyre on 17th

August 2010 (see back cover for a list of participants inthe city consultation). Te background includes dataon administration, urban planning, the economy,the informal and private sector, urban poverty,infrastructure, water, sanitation, public transport,street lighting, energy, health, and education;

2. a synthetic assessment of the following sevenmain thematic areas: governance, local economicdevelopment, land, gender, environment, slums

and shelter, and basic urban services in terms of theinstitutional set-up, regulatory framework, resourcemobilization, and performance; this second sectionalso highlights agreed priorities and includes a list ofidentied projects;


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B L A N T Y R E U R B A N P R O F I L E - B

A C K G R O U N D

3. a SWO 2 analysis and an outline of priorityproject proposals for each theme. Te proposalsinclude beneciaries, partners, estimated costs,objectives, activities, and outputs.

BLANTYRE IN DATA

Blantyre is the commercial capital of Malawi. Tetotal population is estimated at 661,256 with336,234 males and 325,022 females. Te growthrate was estimated at 2.8 percent between 1998 and20083. Te population of Blantyre represents a 5.1percent share of the national population. Te averagepopulation density is 3,006 per square kilometer

(National Statistical Office, 2008). Tere are 14unplanned settlements (aggregated) within the cityand ve planned low income housing areas.

BLANTYRES DEVELOPMENT

Blantyre was declared a planning area in 1897 bythe Scottish missionaries and has experienced highpopulation growth, with the population increasingfrom 109,461 in 1966 to 661,256 in 2008. NationalStatistical Office (2003) projects the population tobe 813,457 in 2008 and 1,068,681 in 2015, withannual growth rates of 4.35 percent and 3.64 percentrespectively.Over 70 percent of the urban population live inunplanned areas, which occupy up to 23 percent ofthe land in the city. Ndirande unplanned area hasthe highest population of about 118,000 as shownin the table below 4.

2 SWOT - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats 3 National Statistical Ofce, September 2009. Population and Housing Census

2008, Main Report.4 Vazquez V, 2009, Water and Sanitation Needs Assessment for Blantyre City,

Malawi.

POPULATION GROWTH IN NDIRANDEYear Population

1966 109,461

1977 219,011

1987 333,120

1998 502,053

2008 661,256

2015 1,068,681

2020 1,274,564Source: National Statistical Ofce, 2003, 1998 Malawi Population

and Housing Census: Population Projections Report 1999-2023.

TABLE 1:

POPULATION IN THE UNPLANNED AREASOF BLANTYRE

Unplanned Area Population (2007)

Kachere 6,401

Makheta 4,986

Nkolokoti 10,278

Soche 6,264

Misesa 8,595

Ntopwa 3,789

Mzedi 15,482

Mbayani / CheMussa 25,405

Nancholi 9,148

Sigelege 7,311

Bangwe / Namiyango 39,966

Naotcha 14,483

Chilobwe Chatha 18,970

Chigumula Chiswe 22,317

Manase 6,600

Kameza 8,558

Chiwembe 13,341

Manyowe 8,493

Basiyele 22,491

Chilomoni 32,094

Machinjiri 38,966

Ndirande (Safarao,Makata, Zambia,Chrimba)

118,424

TOTAL 476,197

Source: National Statistical Ofce, 2003, 1998 MalawiPopulation and Housing Census: Population Projections Report

1999-2023.

TABLE 2:

In terms of population distribution according tohousing or area type, table 3 presents some interestingtrends from 1977 to 1999.


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ADMINISTRATION

Blantyre is managed according to the Local Government Act (1998) with elected councilors and a mayor electedfrom the councilors.

Te citys infrastructure is in a poor state mainly due tolack of maintenance. Lack of adequate resources affectsthe provision of social infrastructure and basic urbanservices by the city council. It also affects the city councilsability to attract and retain skilled and experienced staff

who can implement city plans. Te city council needsto improve its revenue collection strategies, technicalcapacity and accountability and transparency in orderto promote the development of Blantyre.

URBAN PLANNING

Mandated by Te Local Government Act (1998),Blantyre City Council undertakes all planning anddevelopment control functions and responsibilitiesin the city through the Directorate of own Planningand Estates Management. Te city lacks a CityDevelopment Strategy, a recent urban master plan andprogressive policies and strategies to ensure guideddevelopment. Te city has some legal frameworks in

place but enforcement of these frameworks is a problem.Economic activities are concentrated in Blantyre andLimbe central business district (CBD) and the corridorconnecting them through industrial areas. Tere areindustrial areas in Makata, Ginnery Corner, Chirimba,and Moane Park. However, neighbourhood commercialcentres are not common. Tis concentration has ledto skewed development in the city. Tere is need fordecentralized growth points. Te city has failed toaccommodate the growing population in a plannedmanner and forward planning programmes are neededto rectify the situation. Te poor implementationof integrated economic development and planninghas resulted in disorderly economic development.Environmental planning must be taken on board toencourage sustainable development of the city and itssurroundings. Unsustainable development on fragileland and hazard prone areas should be discouraged. Te

POPULATION DISTRIBUTION IN BLANTYRE (1977 - 1999)Year Permanent Areas Low Income Areas Informal Settlements Total

Population Percentage Population Percentage Population Percentage

1977 58,100 39% 25,300 17% 65,660 44% 149,060

1980 50,600 22% 80,500 35% 98,900 43% 230,000

1982 65,000 21.7% 72,000 24% 163,000 54.3% 300,000

1999 151,135 29.1% 82,688 15.9% 285,210 55% 519,033Source: Vazquez V, 2009, Water and Sanitation Needs Assessment for Blantyre City, Malawi.

TABLE 3:

implementation of planning programmes is stalled bylack of adequate resources such as equipment, vehicles,professionally trained staff, and funding.

ECONOMIC SITUATION

Blantyre City is the commercial and industrial capital ofMalawi. Finance, retail trade, construction, transport,food, textile manufacturing, motor vehicles sales andmaintenance, and the informal sector are the mostimportant economic sectors in the city. Blantyre CityCouncil collects its revenue mainly from property rates

(over 90 percent), market fees, licensing fees, and parkingfees. Te city also gets loans and grants from the centralgovernment and donors. Poor nancial managementcoupled with poor revenue collection methods havemade the city fail to deliver services satisfactorily.

Te informal sector employs about 18 percent ofBlantyres population and plays a major role in theeconomy of the city. However, the sector lacks adequateregulation and support. Te private sector is alsothriving. Major impediments to economic growth inBlantyre include poor infrastructure, lack of basic urbanservices, lack of access to credit especially for the poorentrepreneurs, and lack of entrepreneurial skills.

POVERTY

Unemployment, rapid population growth and lack ofaccess to credit for economic development by the poorare some of the factors contributing to the high ratesof poverty in Blantyre. Poverty in the city stands atabout 24 percent. Tere is need to provide the necessaryinvestment in land, infrastructure and basic urbaninfrastructure in order for small and medium enterprises(SMEs) to carry out their businesses. Adequate andinclusive pro-poor regulations should be put in place toregulate the informal sector.


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A C K G R O U N D

SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND BASIC URBAN

SERVICESBlantyre City Council is mandated by the LocalGovernment Act (1998) to provide and manage socialinfrastructure and basic urban services, includingroads provision and maintenance, waste management,sanitation, provision of health services, provision ofmarket outlets, provision of education, maintainingsecurity and safety in the city, and provision of adequatedrainage. However the provision of basic urban servicesand social infrastructure is inadequate due to shortageof resources, poor planning and mismanagement offunds.

WATER

Blantyre Water Board (BWB) supplies about 79,410m of water per day from the Shire River to Blantyre5.

Water supply to individuals is on application basis.Te supply network is old with frequent pipe burststhat require constant maintenance which is expensive.

Around 74 percent of public schools have piped watersupply. Demand for water has surged with the growingpopulation resulting in acute water shortages in thecity. Alternative sources of water should be exploredin order to avoid these acute shortages. A developmentcoordinating committee should be put in place to assistin coordination of water supply in the city.

SANITATION AND REFUSE COLLECTION

Sanitation and refuse collection services are non-existent in the slums and most residents rely on sharedpit latrines. Refuse collection by the city authoritiesis irregular and waste heaped on the roads, in openspaces and on river banks are a common eyesore anda major source of environmental pollution6. BlantyreCity Council, private individuals and Malawi HousingCorporation provide septic tank emptying services ata fee. In order to address the solid waste managementchallenge in Blantyres informal settlements, thepossibility of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) betweenvarious stakeholders and the city council needs to beexplored. Some of the suggestions made for managingsolid waste include converting solid waste into organicfarm manure which can be sold to farmers.

5 National Statistical Ofce 2008, Statistical Yearbook.6 Blantyre City Assembly, 2006, Situation Analysis of Informal Settlements in

Blantyre City.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Te most common means of public transport in Blantyreare minibuses and taxis. Buses operate on long and inter-city routes. In an attempt to mainstream the transportsector in Blanytre, the Minibus Owners Association ofMalawi (MOAM) has constructed a minibus terminalat Mibawa. Blantyre experiences high amounts of trafficcongestion and there is need for more effective trafficregulations. rains used to provided transportationbetween Blantyre and Limbe, helping to ease transportcongestion on the roads, but this is no longer thecase. Improvements required in the transport networkinclude provision of pedestrian footpaths, provisionof pedestrian crossing on the roads, construction of

y-overs and bypasses, and the provision of bus lay-bys. Plans are also underway for the construction of anew Blantyre Bus erminal and a road rehabilitationexercise.

STREET LIGHTING

Street lights in the city are poorly maintained and manyare not working. Te low income areas have no streetlights and this has resulted in increased insecurity andcrime.

ENERGYTe Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi(ESCOM) is the main supplier of electricity in Blantyre7.Only 12 percent of informal settlement residents haveaccess to electricity. Te high use of wood fuel (charcoaland rewood) as an alternative source of energy hashuge negative consequences on the environment andalternative sources of energy must be explored in orderto prevent the continued used of wood fuel. A smallnumber of people rely on solar power as their mainsource of energy.

7 National Statistical Ofce, September 2009, Population and Housing Census2008 Main Report.


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4

HEALTH

Blantyre has six hospitals and eighteen health clinicsscattered across the city and managed by Blantyre CityCouncil and the Ministry of Health and Population.Tere are several private hospitals and clinics andmedical colleges that offer medical services to the public.However, health facilities are unevenly distributed inBlantyre, with residents in the informal areas beingthe most unable to access proper and affordable healthservices. In order to address this situation, plans areunderway to construct a new district hospital that will beaccessible to the poor8. Malaria remains one of the majorcauses of death in Malawi. Cholera and other diseaseoutbreaks are common in the informal settlements due

to the poor sanitation in the settlements. HIV/AIDS isalso a major challenge.

EDUCATION

Tere is a shortage of primary and secondary schools as well as teaching staff in Blantyre. Tere is also a shortageof teachers in schools. In 2008, the total enrollment inprimary schools stood at 130,601 with 63,976 malesand 66,625 females9. Tere are several public andprivate colleges, universities and technical institutionsin Blantyre.

8 Mr Costly Chanza, November 2010, Director of Planning Urban Proling FocalPoint (BCC).

9 National Statistical Ofce 2008, Statistical Yearbook.


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B L A N T Y R E U R B A N P R O F I L E - G

O V E R N

A N C E

Blantyre City Council is mandated by the LocalGovernment Act (1998) to govern and managethe citys affairs. Governance in Blantyre has beenaffected by the absence of councilors for the past sixyears. Te Local Government Act was amended in2009 to allow the president to set the date for localgovernment elections. Tey are now expected to takeplace in April 2011. Chief Executive Officers willbe appointed by the minister responsible for localgovernment and rural development. Te mayor iselected from among the councilors.

Governance in Blantyre is further affected bythe slow pace of decentralization of functionsand responsibilities from central government.

Political interference in technical matters has alsoled to inappropriate decisions being made. Temultiplicity of land owners makes security of tenureand land governance difficult, and also results in theslow processing of land acquisitions. Basic urbanservice provision is poor especially in the informalsettlements where majority of the citys populationreside.

Te citys revenue collection rates are low dueto high default rates, inadequate capacity, lackof transparency and corruption, an inadequateproperty database, and a billing system that dependson unreliable software. Te low revenue results inlow investment in basic infrastructure and services. A city charter for the Citizens Rights to Basic UrbanServices is said to be under formulation and will beready by 2012. Te formulation of the charter willresult in a higher sense of accountability by the citycouncil to provide infrastructure and services.

THE INSTITUTIONAL SET-UP

All budgetary matters are approved by the LocalGovernment Finance Committee.

Blantyre City Council is headed by a mayorelected from among the councilors.Te secretariat is headed by the Chief ExecutiveOfficer (CEO) and has six departments anddirectors.

Te city council works with institutions includingthe civil society and service providers.

Community Development Committees are inplace in some low income housing areas andinformal settlements and assist with communityorganization and development.

Tere is no framework for the establishment of Private-Public Partnerships in service delivery.

GOVERNANCE


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6

GOVERNANCE

N1

Project proposal Page 36Strengthen and improve the citycouncils nancial management

Tere are no specic policies and regulatoryframeworks to control service provision in theinformal settlements.

REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

Te Local Government Act of 1998 and theNational Decentralization Policy of 1998.

Te own and Country Planning Act ( CPA) of1988 empowers the city to control development

within its area of jurisdiction.

Te Blantyre Urban Structure Plan for 2000-2014.

PERFORMANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY

ere is weak communication between BlantyreCity Council and city residents.

e absence of a Service Charter results in alack of accountability by the city council in thedelivery of basic urban services as citizens are notaware of their rights to basic urban services andcannot demand the same.

Blantyre City Council undertakes participatorybudgeting involving citizens, the civil society,the National Initiative for Civic Education(NICE), Blantyre Urban Networks (BUN), andprivate sector organizations. However, there is nomonitoring and evaluation system in place forperformance assessment and improvement.

Blantyre City Council receives support fromthe central government, the Local AuthorityDevelopment Fund and donors, for variousdevelopment activities.

RESOURCE MOBILISATION City and property rates are the major source of

revenue at over 70 percent.

AGREED PRIORITIESStrengthen community development structures.

Create a coordination body for an integratedapproach to urban development, for example,Blantyre Urban Network.

Improve nancial management systems andrevenue collection and monitoring systems.

Review legal frameworks and improveenforcement.

Review the city council structure and conditions of service to reduce staff turnover.

Establish a monitoring and evaluation system(MES) as a learning tool.

Introduce civic education for Members ofParliament and councilors on their roles andresponsibilities.


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S L U M S A N D S H E L T E R

SLUMS AND SHELTER

Blantyres population is estimated at 661,256 people with an annual growth rate of 2.8 percent between1998 and 2008 and with a population density persquare kilometer of 3,006 in 2008 up from 2,280in 1998. Over 70 percent of the population lives ininformal settlements which do not have access to socialinfrastructure or basic urban services. Te populationin the informal settlements has been increasing sincethe 1970s. Housing in the informal settlements isinadequate and lacks the minimum requirements forlow income housing 1.

Blantyre City Assembly (2000, Volume III) estimatesthat high density housing will cater for the needs ofabout 78 percent of the citys population. Te currentBlantyre City Housing Policy promotes equal access

to land for the urban poor2

. UN-HABI A3

(2010)indicates that urban housing needs in Blantyre continueto rise to nearly 5,000 new housing units per annum4.

Various development and humanitarian organizationsand some private companies are involved in the provisionof basic urban services in the informal settlements buttheir activities lack coordination. Some developmentorganizations involved in the provision of low costhousing include Malawi Homeless Peoples Federationsupported by the Centre of Community Organizationand Development and Habitat for Humanity Malawi(HfHM).



3 UN-HABITAT - United Nations Human Settlements Programme4 UN-HABITAT, 2010, Malawi Urban Housing Sector Prole.

Te Malawi Homeless Peoples Federation and Habitatfor Humanity Malawi have been allocated land for newlow income housing projects in Angelo Goveya andSouth Lunzu respectively. Tere is need for a housingpolicy to respond to the housing needs of the population,particularly the urban poor.

ONGOING PROJECTS

Cities without Slums. Te Cities without SlumsInitiative was launched in Blantyre by UN-HABI A tocontribute to sustainable development and attainmentof the Millennium Development Goal 7C (Halve,by 2015, the proportion of the population withoutsustainable access to safe drinking water and basic

sanitation) and Goal 7D (By 2020, to have achieveda signicant improvement in the lives of at least 100million slum dwellers).

INSTITUTIONAL SET UP

Te Ministry of Lands, Housing and UrbanDevelopment; the Ministry of Local and RuralDevelopment; Malawi Housing Corporation;and Blantyre City Council are responsible for theprovision of adequate housing in Blantyre.

Some development organizations are assisting in the

provision of good quality and affordable low costhousing for the poor. Blantyre City Council is theleading authority in the implementation of slumupgrading initiatives.


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BLANTYREURBANPROFILE-SLUMSANDSHELTER

8

MAP 1: FORMAL AND INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS IN BLANTYRE

UN-HABITAT


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S L U M S A N D S H E L T E R

SLUMS ANDSHELTERN1

Project proposal Page 38

An integrated approach to urbanplanning

AGREED PRIORITIES

Upgrade housing and infrastructure in theinformal settlements.

rain Blantyre City Council staff on integratedland use management and use of moderntechnology in infrastructure developmentand improvement, for example GeographicInformations System (GIS) and GlobalPositioning Systems (GPS).

Secure funding from alternative sources,for example donors, for the extensiveimplementation of slum upgrading initiatives.

Use of a participatory and holistic approach inslum upgrading initiatives.


e Blantyre City Urban Structure Plan (2000) runsup to 2015 and provides guidelines for improvedinfrastructure development in the city.

e Town and Country Planning Act (1988), thePublic Health Act, the Local Government Act (1998),the Environmental Management Act (EMA), andthe Procedures, Management and Administration of

raditional Housing Areas (1994).


Te city council lacks the nancial andtechnical capacity to implement slum upgradinginitiatives.

Tere is need to resuscitate and strengthen theurban forum at the local level where urbanchallenges can be discussed and adequatesolutions presented.

Tere is weak coordination between Blantyre CityCouncil and other stakeholders in the land andhousing sector leading to inefficiency and poorperformance especially in policy enforcement.

Te involvement of chiefs in land matters

complicates the implementation of urbandevelopment programmes as there are conictsof interest.

Te absence of a Citizen Right Charter leads topoor basic urban services delivery.

Te absence of a slum upgrading policy at thelocal level makes it difficult to implement slumupgrading initiatives.

TENURE

e formal land and housing market is notaffordable to the poor urban majority, making theinformal settlements their only option for housing.

Residents of informal settlements do not havesecurity of tenure and there is a lot of insecurityin the informal settlements which makes slumupgrading work difficult.

RESOURCE MOBILISATION

e city lacks the nancial, human and technicalcapacity to allocate funds for slum upgrading.

ere are several development actors who areinvolved in informal settlements upgrading initiativesand who work in collaboration with Blantyre CityCouncil to improve the living conditions of theresidents of informal settlements.

e poor are unable to access housing nancebecause collateral is required.


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ANDHIV/AIDS

GENDER AND HIV/AIDS

Tere are 325,022 females and 336,234 males inBlantyre. More males pursue their education beyondthe Junior Certicate of Education level. Females marryearlier than their male counterparts, specically betweenthe ages of 12 and 241. In the informal settlements, 44percent of residents have acquired primary education,41 percent have acquired secondary education and 9percent have acquired tertiary education2.

Women representation in governance and leadershippositions account for 40 percent in most governmentinstitutions.

HIV/AIDS prevalence in Blantyre is among the highestin the country, at 22 percent. Tere is no direct linkbetween education levels and HIV prevalence in

women, ranging from 14 percent among women withno education to 15 percent among educated women.Prevalence for men goes higher with increasingeducation, ranging from 9 percent for those with noeducation to 13 percent for those with secondary andtertiary education. HIV prevalence also increases withincreasing economic status with the prevalence amongthe wealthy at 15 percent and 4 percent among the poor.Te HIV infection rate is lowest among single men and

women and highest among married men and women3.


2 Blantyre City Assembly, 2006, Situation Analysis of Informal Settlements inBlantyre City.

3 National Statistical Ofce, Malawi and ORC Macro. 2005. 2004 MalawiDemographic and Health Survey Key Findings

Tere are several non-governmental and communitybased organizations advocating for gender equality andaffirmative action for women. However, these activitiesmostly favour women, leaving out men. Gender-basedviolence, which is mostly against women, is also a majorchallenge facing the community. Te following strideshave been made in efforts to reduce violence against

women:

Development of a workplace Gender Policy inBlantyre;

Sensitizing staff, from top management to thelowest level employees, on the Gender Policy;

Establishing community centers for communitymeetings and sensitization on gender-based violenceand placement of suggestion boxes in strategiclocations.

BEST PRACTICE

Te Blantyre City Assembly (BCA) HIV/AIDSInitiative . Te main goal of the project was to come up

with a broad based multi-sectoral and well-coordinatedintervention against the HIV/AIDS pandemic inBlantyre. Te initiative has demonstrated that the localgovernment, being closest to the grass root level, canplay an important role in the ght against the HIV/

AIDS pandemic. Blantyre City Council works closely with development and humanitarian organizations, andhas shown that the involvement of the community iscrucial in bringing a sense of ownership of the project tothe communities at the grass root level and continuityof the activities afterwards.


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GENDER ANDHIV/AIDSN1


Formulation of a City Gender Policy

AGREED PRIORITIES

Formulation of a Blantyre City Gender Policy.

Provide communities with civic education andsensitization on gender and HIV/AIDS issues.

Build the capacity of local authorities on genderand HIV/AIDS.

Te initiative is well established and is one of the well managed projects that has been accredited asa best practice in Malawi and showcased in severalinternational forums4.

INSTITUTIONAL SET-UP

Te Ministry of Women and Child Developmentleads in the implementation of gender mainstreaminginitiatives.

Te Ministry of Health and Population leads in theimplementation of HIV/AIDS initiatives.

Te National AIDS Commission (NAC) funds mostHIV/AIDS programmes in the city.Blantyre City Council coordinates some HIV/AIDSprogrammes at the local level.


Te National Gender Policy provides guidance ongender issues.

Te National HIV/AIDS Policy (2003) providesguidelines on HIV/AIDS related issues.

Te National Response to Combat Gender Based Violence (2008).

Blantyre City Council does not have a localizedgender policy.

Blantyre City Assembly HIV/AIDS WorkplacePolicy (2003).


Although there is no localized gender policy, BlantyreCity Council and other active institutions are

making concerted efforts to mainstream genderand create awareness among the public on theimportance of gender equality.

Te various institutions should do more toeducate management at all levels to take gendermainstreaming on board and to equally facilitatethe advancement of both men and women in the

workplace.

Improve information dissemination on gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS through effectivemeans, such as the mass media, schools andchurches. Tis will enable awareness creation.

Blantyre City Council works with CommunityDevelopment Committees at the community

4 Bandawe L R (Dr), (2006) in Managing the HIV and AIDS Pandemic at the LocalLevel: Experience from the Blantyre City Assembly, Malawi.

level and other organization involved in genderinitiatives, to address gender issues and act as localliaison channels with the institutions.

A gender policy has been drafted with the assistanceof non-governmental organizations but it is yet tobe adopted.

Blantyre City Council has a well-coordinated HIV/ AIDS programme in the city, and support from localand international partners.

Blantyre City Council has a gender desk thatcoordinates HIV/AIDS and gender programmes inthe city.

Tere are several public and private institutions which offer voluntary counselling and testing (VC )for HIV/AIDS.

RESOURCE MOBILIZATION

Te city does not have adequate nancial resources.

Te Malawi Government funds gender and HIV/ AIDS activities through the National AIDSCommission.

Several development and humanitarian organizations

have been actively involved in gender and HIV/ AIDS and support gender and HIV/AIDS initiativesin the city of Blantyre, especially in the informalsettlements.

Micro-nance institutions are actively involvedin empowering women through the provision ofsmall scale business loans and business training.Te Malawi Government is also taking part in theprovision of micro-nance through the CommunitySavings and Investment Programme (COMSIP)programme managed by the Malawi Social ActionFund (MASAF).


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ENVIRONMENT AND URBAN DISASTER RISKS

Environmental degradation in Blantyre is mainly as aresult of uncontrolled developments, deforestation,brick moulding along river banks, and mining ofquarries. Te limited coverage of the sewer system in thecity has led to the overwhelming use of pit latrines in theinformal settlements. Te absence of specic regulationsto address the provision of basic urban services in theunplanned settlements is worsening the situation.Indiscriminate liquid and solid waste disposal into

water catchment areas, rivers, and along roads is causingfurther degradation of the environment. Industrial anddomestic effluents are also a major cause of pollution of

water bodies.


Blantyre City Council manages the citysenvironment. Te environmental unit conducts areaconsultations.

Te Department of Environmental Affairs andForestry plays a role in the management of theenvironment through tree planting programmes andputting in place measures to reduce environmentalpollution in the city.

Some non-governmental and community basedorganizations have initiated environmentalconservation programmes in the city and in theinformal settlements.

Te Malawi Environmental Endowment rust(MEE ) works with various institutions in theimplementation of the Environmental Management Act.


Blantyre has a range of policies and regulationsgoverning environmental management.

Te Environmental Management Act, the Forestry Act, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)Guidelines, and the Local Government Act are themajor sources of guidance.


Te environmental regulations and policies fail toaddress the environmental challenges faced in theinformal settlements. Environmental protectionprogrammes are hampered by resistance fromstakeholders in the private sector to implementenvironmental protection guidelines and standards.

Te city council has failed in enforcing environmentalregulations mainly due to inadequate capacity.

Several public and private institutions assembleand disseminate urban environmental informationthrough print and electronic media.

Environmental protection and conservation as wellas climate change education have now been main-streamed in the school curriculum in Malawi,specically at the university level.


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E N V I R O N M E N T A N D U R B A N D I S A S T E R R I S K S

AGREED PRIORITIESBuild the city councils environmental planningand management capacity.

Formulation and implementation ofenvironmental regulations.

Establishment of biogas projects in somesettlements.

Drafting of plans for the management of openspaces.

raining of local leaders on the importance of protecting the environment and on goodenvironmental practices.

Developing a project on production of organicfertilizer and the transformation of solid wasteinto biogas.

Rain water harvesting to reduce water shortages.

ree planting to reduce soil erosion.

RESOURCE MOBILIZATION

Te resources allocated for environmentalmanagement in Blantyre are not enough to addressthe multitude of environmental challenges.

Te Malawi Environmental Endowment rustprovides funding for environment related projectsand scholarships for capacity building.

A few individuals provide waste collection anddisposal services at a fee. However these services

are only accessible in the middle and high incomeneighbourhoods, where residents can afford the costof these services.

Several Private-Public Partnership projects have beencarried out in the past in an effort to control pollutionalong Mudi River, improve the management ofChipembere Highway Green Areas, and control soilerosion in Chimwankhunda Dam.

Tere are several non-governmental and communitybased organizations involved in environmentalconservation projects and who also supplement thecity councils environmental management efforts.

URBAN DISASTER RISKS

Te Department of Poverty and Disaster Management Affairs and Blantyre City Council are the mainstakeholders responsible for disaster prevention andmanagement. Some of the disaster risks facing thecity include oods, landslides and environmentaldegradation. Landslides are becoming common andare mainly as a result of environmental degradation.Mitigation measures have included shifting householdsfrom landslide prone areas to safer locations.


Te Ministry of Poverty and Disaster Management Affairs and Blantyre City Council leads in themanagement of disaster issues.

Te National Disaster Preparedness and ReliefCommittee (NDPRC) and sub-committees fordisaster management work together with the Officeof the Commissioner for Disaster Preparedness,Relief and Rehabilitation.

Other key stakeholders include the police, theMinistry of Health and Population, the ElectricitySupply Commission of Malawi, Blantyre WaterBoard, the Forestry Department, St. John

Ambulance, the Civil Aviation, and the Departmentof Meteorological Services and Climate Change.

ONGOING PROJECTS

raining of council staff in re ghting techniques.

Community re safety education campaign.

raining course for food handlers.


Te Disaster Preparedness and Relief Act (1991) provides guidelines on disaster preparedness andmanagement.

Te city has by-laws that are applicable in themanagement of urban disasters.


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Communities are involved in the implementationof disaster management activities but there isneed for more capacity building and training ondisaster preparedness and management amongthe local authorities and local communities.

Te absence of regulatory frameworks for disasterat the local level is an obstacle when it comes toplanning and implementation of disaster riskmanagement activities.

Te capacity of Blantyre City Council needs to beimproved through training and policies that areadequate for disaster risk reduction.

RESOURCE MOBILISATIONTe Department of Poverty and DisasterManagement Affairs has a budget line for its activitiesand receives funding from the central governmentand donors. However these resources are not enoughto implement all the necessary disaster managementactivities in the city.

Tere are some development and humanitarianorganizations taking part in disaster managementactivities.

Te National Disaster Preparedness and Relief

Committee distributes funds to the variousorganizations involved in urban disaster riskreduction and management.

AGREED PRIORITIESIntroduction of community policing.

Increase in the number of re ghting equipmentand provision of water hydrants in slums.

ENVIRONMENTN1


Rainwater harvesting in schools

ENVIRONMENTN2


Tree planting to reduce soil erosionand to protect the ecosystem

ENVIRONMENTN3


Storm water drainage system


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B L A N T Y R E U R B A N P R O F I L E - L

O C A L E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T

LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Blantyre offers numerous economic opportunities. Retail

trade, construction, manufacturing of food products,transport, textile manufacturing, motor vehicle salesand maintenance, and public administration are themost important economic activities in Blantyre. About45 percent of Blantyres population is employed inthe private sector, 12 percent in the public sector, 36percent are self employed, and 7 percent work in theagricultural sector1.

Poverty in Blantyre stands at 24 percent. Te poorlack access to loan facilities to enable them to startup income generating activities. Te government hasset up several programmes to support access to micronance. Te Malawi Government through the Malawi

Social Action Fund introduced the Community Savingsand Investment Programme to support the growth ofsmall and medium enterprises at the community level.


Te Ministry of Industry, rade and Private SectorDevelopment promotes local economic developmentat the national level and Blantyre City Councilpromotes local economic development at the locallevel.

Tere are no training opportunities in entrepreneurial

and business skills for the entrepreneurs inBlantyre.

Te One Village One Product (OVOP) initiativehas created opportunities in Blantyre.

Local non-governmental organizations such asthe Centre for Community Organization andDevelopment (CCODE) are coming in with newLocal Economic Development initiatives like organicmanure production.

Some micro-nance institutions such as MalawiRural Finance Company offer basic training in

entrepreneurship for those wanting to get loans tosupport small businesses.

Te current regulatory framework for creditaccessibility does not favour low income earnersdue to the high interest on loans and collateralrequirements.

1 National Statistical Ofce 2008, Statistical Yearbook.


Te Local Government Act of 1998 and the Decentralization Policy of 1996.

Te Blantyre Urban Structure Plan for 2000-2014(2000).

Te own and Country Planning Act of 1988.

Te axation Act.


Tere is weak communication and consultations

between Blantyre City Council, the private sectorand small and medium sized enterprises.

Te informal sector economy lacks adequate supportfrom the government. Tere is need to integrate theinformal sector into the local economy and optimizeits potential for creating employment and providingrevenue for the government.

Te activities of all players in local economicdevelopment need to be coordinated and thepossibility of public-private partnerships explored.

Poor infrastructure and lack of access to basic urbanservices affects local economic development. Forexample, Blantyre experiences frequent power outages

which affects the performance of businesses.

Tere is limited provision of serviced land forinvestment and development of businesses.

Tere are no pro-poor or deliberate gender-orientedlocal economic development policies in place.

Te activities of stakeholders, non-governmentaland community based organizations and civilsociety organizations involved in local economicdevelopment initiatives lack coordination.

Promotion of local economic development by provision of incentives such as low interest loans forthose who want to start up businesses.


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BLANTYREURBANPROFILE-LOCALECONOMICDEVELOPMENT RESOURCE MOBILISATION

Blantyre City Council lacks the resources tomeaningfully invest in the promotion of localeconomic development.

Te informal sector is a major source ofemployment in Blantyre. Te city council needsto harness the potential of the informal sectorto accelerate local economic development byformation of policies to mainstream the informalsector and collection of revenue through taxes.

Some private institutions have provided fundsfor the improvement of infrastructure in order topromote local economic development.

Tere is need to provide low interest loans tothe poor to enable them to start up incomegenerating activities that will enable them to getout of poverty.

AGREED PRIORITIES

Establish an institutional structure forsupporting entrepreneurship and business skillsdevelopment.

Review existing legal frameworks and formulatenew by-laws to promote economic activities inboth the formal and informal sectors.

Improve working conditions in the city councilin order to retain the right professionals whocan contribute towards the development of theeconomy.

Encourage best practices and knowledge sharingthrough training and trade fairs.

LOCAL ECONOMICDEVELOPMENTN1

Project proposal Page 45Upgrading of Chilobwe VocationalCentre

LOCAL ECONOMICDEVELOPMENTN2


Review of legal frameworks


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O C A L E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T

MAP 3: INDUSTRIAL SITES IN BLANTYRE

UN-HABITAT


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BLANTYREURBANPROFILE-BASICURBANSERVICES

BASIC URBAN SERVICES

Blantyre City Council is responsible for the provisionof basic urban services. However these services areinadequate and not evenly distributed throughoutBlantyre, with the informal settlements being themost affected. Tere are ve sewage treatment plantsnamely Blantyre, Soche, Limbe, Chirimba, and Maone.Chirimba and Maone are currently not operational1.Solid waste is collected by the city council and dumpedat Mzedi dumping site to the east of the city. Otherinstitutions such as Malawi Housing Corporation andprivate entities provide waste management services evenin the informal areas as long as one can afford to pay forthe services.

WATER SUPPLYBlantyre Water Board is the sole supplier of water inthe city and water provision is mainly upon application.Tere are no special arrangements for water supplyin the informal settlements as the key determinant isaffordability. Blantyres main water sources are ShireRiver and Mudi Dam2. About 46 percent of slumdwellers access water through kiosks, 11 percent havepiped water at home, 13 percent walk long distances toaccess piped water, and the rest acquire their water fromother sources3. About 80 percent of formal settlementsresidents have access to piped water4. However, Blantyre

Water Board asserts that access to water has improved inthe last ve years as fewer consumers are forced to travellong distances in search of water.

Some 74 percent of public schools in Blantyre haveaccess to piped water, 6 percent use boreholes while theremaining 20 percent rely on unprotected water sources.

All public health facilities are supplied with piped water.Installation of additional water points and provision of

water services at affordable tariffs will improve access to water, especially in the informal settlements.

ONGOING PROJECTS

Provision of Portable Water to Peri-Urban Areas byBlantyre Water Board. Tis project aims at improving

water supply to Blantyres informal settlements and theperi-urban areas. It is under the Ministry of Irrigationand Water Developments National Water DevelopmentProgramme (NWDP II) and is expected to take 48months and cost about USD 25 million. Te expectedoutput is increased water supply coverage and improvedefficiency.

1 Vazquez V, 2009, Water and Sanitation needs assessment for Blantyre City,Malawi.

2 National Statistical Ofce, 2008, Statistical Yearbook. 3 National Statistical Ofce, September 2009, Population and Housing Census

2008 Main Report.4 Vazquez V, 2009, Water and Sanitation needs assessment for Blantyre City,

Malawi.

Blantyre Water Board will also expand the water pipelineto cover more areas that are not yet connected, providebooster pumps to supply water to higher areas, andreplace less durable piping material with durable onesto avoid water loss through leakages.


Te Ministry of Irrigation and Water Developmentsupported by the Water Resources Board coordinatesthe supply of water and all water related projects.

Blantyre Water Board is the sole supplier of piped water in Blantyre.

Blantyre City Council provides re, sewerage, health,sanitation, and solid waste management services.

Public-private partnerships aimed at improving water supply and accessibility, especially in theinformal settlements, are in place.

Blantyre City Council coordinates and facilitatesthe supply of water to the informal settlements andother high density housing areas.


Te Blantyre Water Works Act, the Water Resources Act, the Local Government Act, and the NationalSanitation Policy.

Te Public Health Act and the EnvironmentalManagement Act requires the supply of portable

water to all residents in the city.

Blantyre City Council has local by-laws andregulations regarding service provision.


Water supply costs in Blantyre are high due to the distant location of water sources and the poor stateof the existing water supply infrastructure that needsrehabilitation.

Tere is a shortage of qualied and competent staffin Blantyre Water Board and this affects serviceprovision by the institution.

Availability of water varies with locations. Certainareas have water throughout while others receive

water intermittently, especially the informal areas.


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A S I C U R B A N S E R V I C E S


Blantyre Water Board and Blantyre City Councildepend on locally collected revenue to enablethem to provide services such as water and wastemanagement throughout the city.

ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

Te Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi isthe only supplier of hydroelectric power in thecity, generated and transmitted from the Shire River.Connection is by application and the major determinantis affordability. Some 45 percent of Blantyres residentsdepend on electricity for lighting. For cookingpurposes, 64 percent of residents rely on charcoal, 18percent on rewood and 17 percent on electricity 5.

A small number of residents rely on solar power. TeGovernment has installed solar power in some newlyconstructed public facilities in a bid to reduce relianceon hydroelectric power. Only 12 percent of householdsin the informal settlements have access to electricity.88 percent of informal settlement residents rely onrewood and charcoal for energy. Electricity supply isfurther characterized by frequent blackouts. Te energypolicy of 2003 promotes the analysis of alternative

energy sources such as solar power to increase electricitysupply.


Te Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy andEnvironment Affairs provides legal support.

Te Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA)controls electricity pricing.

Electricity Supply Commission Of Malawi is thesole supplier of hydroelectric power in the city.

Tere are no public-private partnerships to promoteenergy distribution in the city.


AGREED PRIORITIESConduct tree planting exercise in all watercatchment areas in the city.

Establish alternative water sources.

Mobilize resources to promote communitypolicing activities.

Upgrade existing water supply infrastructure.


Te Electricity Act guides the supply of electricity.Te Malawi Energy Regulatory Act controlselectricity tariffs.

Electricity by-laws developed by the MalawiElectricity Regulatory Authority are yet to beadopted.


Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi is agovernment institution that faces resource challenges

which greatly hamper its delivery.

Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi, which isthe sole supplier of electricity in Malawi, is unableto meet the electricity demands of all of Blantyresresidents. Introduction of new players into theelectricity supply eld will help to improve servicedelivery.

Electricity in Blantyre is expensive making itunaffordable for many of Blantyres residents and

greatly increases the cost of production in industriesthat consume a lot of electricity. Tis situation needsto be addressed in order to increase the number ofpeople with electricity access and promote localeconomic development.

Electricity supply in Blantyre is characterized byfrequent blackouts and many incidences of illegalconnections.


Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi generates

revenue from the fees it charges to consumers forelectricity supply.

AGREED PRIORITIES

Mobilize resources to upgrade and expandexisting electricity supply infrastructure.

Sensitize communities to opt for alternativesources of energy, for example solar energy.


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URBAN SAFETY

Safety in Blantyre is provided by the Malawi Police,Blantyre City Council and private security rms.Te city council is responsible for the provision ofa safe environment through street lighting, orderlydevelopment and provision of social amenities,infrastructure and services (roads, bridges, footpaths).Blantyre City Council has seven police stations andseveral police posts located throughout the city. Temain safety and security issues facing the city includerobbery, theft, rape, assault, gender-based violence,and carjackings. Tey occur mostly in the raditionalHousing Areas and the informal settlements.

Urban safety and security in Blantyre can be improvedthrough implementation of community policing,improving the working conditions of police officers,increasing the amount of resources allocated to thepolice to implement urban safety and security measures,capacity building for the police, and establishment ofmore police units across the country.


Te Ministry of Internal Affairs oversees law andorder and public safety in Malawi.

Blantyre City Council is mandated to provide a safeenvironment.

Private security rms provide security services at a fee.

Te implementation of community policing hashelped to increase safety and security at the locallevel.

Other institutions actively involved in increasingurban safety include the National Road Safety Council(NRSC) and the National Roads Authority (NRA).Te National Road Safety Council concentrates onputting in place measures to increase road safety.

REGULATORY FRAMEWORKTe Police Act; the Local Government Act; theOccupational Health, Safety and Welfare Act;the Crime Prevention Policy; and the MalawiConstitution form the basis for the provision ofsafety and security services in the city.

Community neighbourhood groups have beenestablished with the help of the police based on thePolice Act.

Private rms need to be duly registered with theRegistrar of Companies.


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A S I C U R B A N S E R V I C E S

WASTE MANAGEMENT

Blantyre City Council is in charge of waste managementand provision of sanitation. Te formal areas haveaccess to the basic urban services while the informalsettlements and the raditional Housing Areas havelittle or no access to basic urban services. Majority ofinformal settlement residents dispose of their wastein a haphazard manner that is harmful to their healthand dangerous to the environment. About 78 percentof informal settlement residents dispose their human

waste in pit latrines6. Tere is need to introduce rulesand regulations in the informal settlements that willstop the indiscriminate disposal of waste and preventfurther environmental degradation.


Te Engineering Department, the CleansingDepartment, and the Cultural and EnvironmentDepartment in Blantyre City Council are responsiblefor waste management and pollution control inBlantyre.

Te Malawi Homeless Peoples Federation hasintroduced eco-friendly toilets at the Angelo Goveyalow income housing projects.

Some development and humanitarian organizationsassist in waste management in the informalsettlements.

Tere are private companies that offer refusecollection and disposal services at a fee. Howeverthese services are only accessible to the middle andupper class residents who can afford them.


Te Local Government Act of 1998, theEnvironmental Management Act, the Public Health

Act, and the own and Country Planning Act giveguidelines for the provision of waste managementand sanitation services.

Te Blantyre City Urban Structure Plan (2000).


AGREED PRIORITIESImprove community participation in communitypolicing activities in the residential areas.

Mobilize resources for community policingactivities.

Sensitize communities on the negative effects ofgender-based violence.

Improve the road network which will lead toincreased safety and security in the city.


Te Malawi Police depends on government fundingto provide safety and security services. However,government resources are limited and this greatlyaffects their ability to fulll their mandate.

Blantyre City Council lacks sufficient resources toinvest in safety infrastructure.

Community policing and neighbourhood watch

groups have increased recently. Tis has led toimproved safety and reduced crime in the city.

Recent reviews of the police law allowing the policeto arrest without a court warrant are retrogressiveand an abuse of human rights.


Te Malawi Government funds the police.

Te police collect nes which act as a source ofrevenue.

Blantyre City Council relies on its own local revenueto provide urban safety and security infrastructure,for example putting up street lights.


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Blantyre City Council lacks the capacity (nancial, technical and human resource) tomeet the demand for waste management andsanitation services.

Tere is need for increased provision of basicurban services in the informal settlements.Private companies can be encouraged to expandtheir services to the informal settlements at anaffordable rate, by providing them with subsidiesand incentives.


Blantyre City Council depends on revenue collectedfrom taxes to provide waste management services.

Encouraging the establishment of Private-PublicPartnerships to assist in waste management in thecity.

Tere are a few development agencies that are willingto provide funds for the improvement of wastemanagement services in the informal settlements.Tere is need to involve the communities andbuild their capacity to participate in proper wastemanagement practices.

BASIC URBAN

SERVICESN1


Provision of portable water to informaland peri-urban areas

BASIC URBANSERVICESN2

Project proposal Page 49Afforestation of all water catchmentareas


Project proposal Page 50Provision of adequate street lighting inthe informal settlements


Project proposal Page 50Promotion of community policing in theinformal settlements


Project proposal Page 51Organic fertilizer production from urbanwaste

AGREED PRIORITIES

Upgrade the sewerage infrastructure in the city andthe informal settlements.

Review existing legal frameworks.

Establish community-based waste collection services.


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A N D


Most citizens are not aware of the procedures tofollow when buying land.

Lack of a land register makes it difficult to monitorthe buying and selling of land.

Land administration and governance is weak andlacks transparency. Improved land governance couldbe achieved by incorporating more civil society

representatives in the Plot Allocation Committeeand own Planning Committee.

Te city has a well thought out urban structure planthat was prepared in 1999, but its implementationis very slow.

Recent low income plots have been absorbed bymedium and high income people who are able toafford them, whereas the poor still nd the cost ofplots to be too high.

Blantyre City Council lacks the physical andtechnical capacity to implement its plans.

A coordination platform is lacking among thestakeholders.


Blantyre collects most of its revenue from propertyrates.

Blantyre City Council heavily relies on donor fundsto carry out slum upgrading initiatives.

LAND

Blantyre City Council is responsible for urbanplanning and development control in the city.Major land owners include the Ministry of Lands,Housing and Urban Development, Malawi HousingCorporation, private institutions, and BlantyreCity Council. Chiefs also claim to own customaryland. Te multiplicity of land ownership gives riseto land management challenges. Land in Blantyreis categorized as public (48 percent), private (40percent), freehold and leasehold, and customaryland (12 percent). Planned residential areas accountfor 43 percent of land, unplanned residential areasaccount for 22 percent, while semi-rural residentialaccounts for 21 percent. Commercial, industrial,and institutional premises share about 16 percent ofthe total land area.


Major land owners include the Ministry of Lands,Housing and Urban Development, MalawiHousing Corporation, private owners, and BlantyreCity Council. Local chiefs and leaders also claimownership to customary land.

Blantyre City Council is responsible for provision ofhigh density plots.

Habitat for Humanity Malawi and Centre for Community Organization and Development(CCODE) assists low income earners to build theirown houses.

Chiefs allocate land without following any layoutplans leading to unplanned and haphazarddevelopments.


Blantyre relies on the own and CountryPlanning Act; the Procedures, Management and

Administration of raditional Housing Areas; theLocal Government Act; the Decentralization Policy;and the Blantyre Urban Structure Plan (2000).

AGREED PRIORITIESLand adjudication project in the informalsettlements.

Establishment of a Land Allocation Committee.

Public awareness on land matters.

Computerization of land projects.

Lobbying for passing of the Land Bill.

Capacity building on proper land management.

LANDN1

Project proposal Page 53Development of a land informationsystem

LANDN2

Project proposal Page 53Servicing of land for allocation to lowincome earners


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BLANTYREURBANPROFILE-LAND

MAP 4: BLANTYRE CITY ASSEMBLY: URBAN STRUCTURE PLAN - CURRENT

LAND USE (1999)

UN-HABITAT

8/12/2019 Malawi: Blantyre Urban Pr

malawi: blantyre urban profile

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