Hope is fast turning into an illusion for communities surrounding the construction site for Inkosi ya Makosi M’mbelwa University in Mzimba district.
Erstwhile governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration initiated the Inkosi ya Makosi M’mbelwa University project – then Mombera University – to create space for more students to access higher education.
Former President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika laid the foundation stone for the project in 2015. To demonstrate its seriousness, the government constructed access roads at the campus pending commencement of the construction of hostels and learning blocks.
But due to funding hiccups, the project did not proceed as it was earmarked.
The incumbent Head of State, President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, rode on this failure to leverage on his campaign prior to the 2019 tripartite elections.
Chakwera repeated his campaign promise when he visited the district recently. In January this year, the government deployed contractors on the site – Paramount Holdings Limited (PHL) and DEC Construction – to commence construction works.
In October 2023, the Ministry of Education awarded contracts to Paramount Holdings Limited (PHL) and DEC Construction to construct girls’ and boys’ hostels, respectively.
The Minister of Education, Madalitso Kambauwa Wirima, assured communities members in January 2024 that the incumbent administration is committed to ensuring that the project comes to fruition.
Wirima stated that President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera was determined to ensure that the project is completed on time to enable students from across the country to access higher education at the institution.
The minister disclosed that the varsity will enroll its first intake in June 2024.
But this was not to be as construction works stopped the very month they commenced, further raising fears that the current administration was simply playing with their minds.
Benjamin Chirwa of Chikwa Village in Traditional Authority (T/A) M’mbelwa said the halting of the construction works have reignited feelings of illusion, betrayal and exploitation among the people of Mzimba.
“It’s very unfortunate that we are being fooled now and then on this project,” said Chirwa.
The Ministry of Education spokesperson, Mphatso Nkuonera, refused to comment on the matter, but chose to refer us to the Ministry of Transport and Public Works.
The Minister of Transport and Public Works, Jacob Hara, confirmed the stalling of the project, but fell short of proving a convincing reason for the decision.
“It’s true that the construction was halted because government had identified more resources for a better structure. Currently, a comprehensive design is underway. It will be ready by early next year. Construction will resume immediately the designs are ready as the contractors are already on site,” said Hara.
Reacting to the development, the DPP vice president responsible for the Northern Region, Jappie Mhango, said failure by the Chakwera administration to finish the project confirms their earlier fear that President Chakwera and his government are not interested in developing the region.
“I have indicated this several times that this government has no commitment to bring meaningful development in the north and this is one such example. Construction of Inkosi ya Makosi M’mbelwa University commenced under the DPP regime and to this end, all access roads were constructed. What remained was commencement of buildings. MCP promised that they were going to start from where we had left, but four years down the line, nothing has been done and this confirms what we have been saying this government has no interest to bring development in the north,” he reacted.