By Burnett Munthali
In Malawi, city assemblies, also known as city councils, are the local government bodies responsible for urban areas. There are four city assemblies in Malawi: Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu, and Zomba. These assemblies provide local services and oversee the development of urban areas within their respective jurisdictions.
Malawi has a single-tier local government system, where city assemblies function as districts in their own right. They are made up of both a political arm (elected councillors) and a technical arm (council staff).
City assemblies are responsible for a wide range of municipal services, including infrastructure, sanitation, waste management, and local development initiatives. They also have the power to make bylaws.
Each city assembly is headed by a mayor, who is usually the elected leader of the council.
City assemblies operate under a system of delegated authority from the central government, meaning they have specific powers and responsibilities outlined in the Local Government Act.
Decentralization is a key strategy for the Malawian government, and city assemblies play a crucial role in the devolution of authority from central government to local levels.
City assemblies in Malawi frequently make decisions that fail to address the real needs of their constituents.
This chronic failure often stems from a lack of meaningful consultation with local communities.
Instead of engaging with residents and understanding their priorities, city officials tend to impose top-down solutions.
This approach leads to poorly planned infrastructure, misallocated resources, and projects that do not reflect the lived realities of ordinary people.
A glaring example is the construction of marketplaces or bus depots without considering traffic flow, sanitation needs, or access to water.
City assemblies also struggle with accountability, where decisions are made behind closed doors without transparent procurement or budgeting processes.
The absence of clear communication channels between assemblies and the public breeds suspicion and weakens trust in local governance.
Moreover, political interference plays a major role, as councillors and officials often pursue projects that serve partisan interests rather than the public good.
This undermines long-term urban development and erodes confidence in democratic processes at the local level.
Another critical issue is the lack of technical expertise within assemblies, where some members may not fully understand urban planning, engineering, or environmental impact.
This knowledge gap results in short-sighted decisions that later prove costly or unsustainable.
Compounding this is the underfunding of city assemblies, which leaves them unable to carry out even well-intentioned plans effectively.
Ultimately, for city assemblies to get it right, there must be a shift toward inclusive planning, transparent governance, and professional capacity building.
It is only through community involvement, depoliticized decision-making, and accountability that city assemblies can serve the needs of Malawi’s growing urban populations.
