Land Minister Chipungu has handed over 40 completed staff houses to the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) at Mvera in Dowa District, marking progress on the 10,000 Housing Units Project for Security Institutions, which was initiated under the DPP-led government of President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika before the 2020 re elections .
The project was launched under Mutharika’s previous administration as part of efforts to improve accommodation for Malawi’s security personnel and provide decent living conditions for men and women serving the nation.
Speaking during the handover ceremony at the MDF Support Battalion in Mvera, Chipungu said the houses would help improve the welfare of military personnel and provide a more conducive environment for them to carry out their duties.
The minister also acknowledged challenges affecting the implementation of ongoing projects, including outstanding payments to contractors, while assuring stakeholders of the government’s commitment to completing the initiative.
However, Chipungu announced that the tendering of the remaining 6,000 housing units had been deferred due to prevailing economic challenges, with the government prioritising the resolution of issues affecting projects already underway.
Despite the delays, the minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that the housing programme achieves its intended objective of providing decent accommodation for Malawi’s security personnel.
Apart from MDF, other security agencies that will benefit from this project are immigration, police and Malawi prison services.
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