Some civil society organizations (CSOs) in Mzimba have expressed support for the government’s decision to relocate certain public offices back to Blantyre and Zomba a move reversing the previous administration’s policy under President Lazarus Chakwera.
The government recently announced that departments and agencies that were moved to Lilongwe will be relocated to their former bases in the Southern Region. Authorities argue that the relocation aims to enhance administrative efficiency and reduce high rental costs in the capital city.
The Executive Director of the Mzimba Institute for Development Communication Trust (MIDCT), Christopher Melele, welcomed the decision, describing the initial relocation to Lilongwe as ill-timed and poorly planned.
“The decision to move all key government offices to Lilongwe during the Chakwera administration was ill-timed and costly, It weakened service delivery in other regions, especially in the South, and put unnecessary pressure on infrastructure in the capital.”said Melele.
However, not all stakeholders share the same view.
The Executive Director of the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), Michael Kaiyatsa, has urged the government to exercise caution, warning that abrupt relocations could lead to inefficiency and instability within affected institutions.
“Relocating public institutions risks creating administrative instability and may undermine operational efficiency if not managed properly,” Kaiyatsa said.
Reacting to Kaiyatsa’s concerns, political analyst Thomas Chirwa dismissed the fears as misplaced, arguing that relocation decisions should be based on sound economic and logistical reasoning rather than emotion.
“I am currently based in Tanzania, and most government offices are in Dar es Salaam, not Dodoma, which is the capital, You don’t develop an area simply by moving offices there. In Malawi’s case, many of the relocated offices in Lilongwe ended up renting expensive spaces, which only increased government expenditure.”said Chirwa.
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