Lilongwe and Zomba city councils yesterday ushered into office new mayors to serve until the end of the extended 2019 to 2025 local government tenure.
In the respective elections, Chimutu Ward councillor and former deputy mayor Esther Sagawa assumed the office of Lilongwe City mayor while councillor Christopher Jana won the seat in Zomba after a break.
Sagawa, of Malawi Congress Party (MCP), has replaced fellow MCP councillor Richard Banda, whose two-and-a-half-year tenure ended.
The former deputy mayor amassed 21 votes against nine for her rival councillor Felix Tsokonombwe, during the election held at Civic Offices in City Centre, Lilongwe.
On the other hand, Ruth Chingwalu (MCP), representing Mtandire Ward, is the deputy mayor. She got 16 votes, beating Tsabango 1 Ward councillor William Nguluwe (MCP) who received 11 votes.
In an interview yesterday, Sagawa said her vision aligns with Malawi 2063, the national long-term development strategy that seeks to transform the country into an “inclusively wealthy and self-reliant nation” with the population having a knowledge-based upper middle-income and industrialised economy built around three pillars of agricultural productivity and commercialisation, industrialisation and urbanisation.
Said Sagawa: “The city is undergoing significant construction, particularly roads and once these projects are completed, Lilongwe will regain its organised and vibrant character.”
In Zomba, Jana of Mpira Ward (Democratic Progressive Party-DPP), was unanimously elected as Zomba City Mayor and will be deputised by Masongola Ward councillor Anthony Gonani (DPP) who also went un-opposed.
Jana has taken over from Davie Maunde (United Democratic Front) of Chinamwali Ward while Gonani replaces Likangala Ward councillor, Munira Bakali (Independent).
In his acceptance speech, Jana said he wants to oversee the completion of the stalled Zomba Stadium which started in 2017.
“The stadium is both the hub for entertainment as well as income generation to the city,” he said.
Mzuzu City Council was still receiving nominations for polls slated for today to elect a mayor and deputy mayor.
The council’s spokesperson McDonald Gondwe yesterday said they had received five nominations from different parties.
He said: “We have received nomination for councillor Kondwani Nyasulu, representing Msongwe Ward and councillor Edward Simwaka of Chibavi East Ward, both competing on the ballot for mayor.”
On the position of deputy mayor, as of yesterday, there were nominations from councillor Monica Simwaka of Katawa Ward (MCP), councillor Gabriel Mwaungulu of Chibavi West Ward and incumbent deputy mayor Tony Mwenitete of Mzilawaingwe Ward.
Meanwhile, Blantyre City Council will hold its mayoral elections on July 22 2024, according to spokesperson Deborah Luka.
She said this is the date the term for the current Mayor Wild Ndipo and Deputy Mayor Funny Baraba Kanojerera ends.
“The council will start receiving nominations for the elections about a week before the polls,” said Luka.
Last week, four mayors and their deputies, represented by Ritz Attorneys at Law, filed an application to delay mayoral elections.
However, the High Court of Malawi in Blantyre on Monday lifted the order to allow for the elections to proceed.
Malawi resumed voting for councillors in the 2014 Tripartite Elections after the dissolution of local councils in 2005.
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