ZOMBA-(MaraviPost)-In Zomba, keeping the city clean is no longer just the City Council’s concern but a shared responsibility that is born out of necessity.
What started as a Presidential directive—the National Clean Up Day, held every second Friday of the month—has grown into a fully fledged movement powered by residents who are stepping up to clean their streets, plant trees, and restore the glory Zomba was once known for.
What makes this movement even stronger is the genuine collaboration between residents and the City Council’s leadership.
Treasurer for the Waste Management Committee for Likangala Ward, Rodrick Kamumtolo, recalls how managing waste was once a challenge at Chikanda and other neighbouring villages.
“We used to struggle ourselves at household level,” Kamumtolo said.
“When the directive came, we realized that no one was coming to do it for us, and we organised ourselves to put our ward in order.”
Today, Likangala Ward’s Waste Management Committee conducts regular market clean ups.
It also monitors blocked drains and coordinates community-wide cleaning days through its ward WhatsApp group.
Not only are the committees maintaining hygiene in the city, but they are also stepping up by teaching fellow residents how to manage household waste.
They are teaching people how to make compost organic fertilizer and how to hold local businesses accountable to cleanliness standards.
“Our goal is to ensure that Zomba City remains clean and hygienic to prevent diseases, and one of the notable achievements has been ensuring that every household has a waste bin,” Kamumtolo explained.
He said this was achieved through sensitization and by teaching community members how to dispose of waste properly.
The Malawi Local Government Association (MALGA) acknowledged the commendable work and recently named Likangala Ward Waste Management Committee the cleanest ward in Malawi.
While the Waste Management Committee is making strides in keeping the ward clean, the Forest Committee for Likangala Ward is leading with purpose by planting trees within the community and along the banks of the Likangala River.
Forest Committee Chairperson, Yowati Mlanga, oversees a tree nursery that started through a climate resilience project but is now managed entirely by locals.
Today, the Committee has over 100 members who grow and provide seedlings to schools, homes, and riverside areas.
The members also generate income from the seedlings they grow as individuals.
They use the proceeds for school fees, family support, and micro-businesses.
“I earned K450,000 this year alone from my seedlings, and that money has helped me pay fees for my children, and I used some money to venture into poultry,” Mlanga said.
The youth have also joined the committee, helping to plant more trees and learning community mobilization skills first hand.
According to Mlanga, the committee has even built its own welfare fund from the seedling proceeds to support members during illness or bereavement.
Recently, environmental enthusiast Matthews Malata emphasized the need for action as the country grapples with serious environmental challenges.
“Tree planting is critical, but protecting the trees planted is equally important,” Malata said.
“Educating and involving the community is crucial for safeguarding the trees planted.”
This transformation is not happening in isolation, according to Director of Health and Social Services for Zomba City Council, Busta Chiona.
He explained that waste management committees and community by-laws have been established for every ward in the city to ensure sustainability of the initiative.
As a result, 70 percent of residents are now actively practicing reforestation.
These interventions have empowered communities to lead and hold themselves accountable.
“The committees are responsible for mobilizing communities to implement proper waste management practices and initiatives such as the National Clean Up Day,” Chiona explained.
“We have seen better skip management, cleaner wards, and a deeper understanding of citizen responsibility in environmental conservation.”
To bring the initiative to life, a City Task Force Team now coordinates stakeholders across the city, ensuring that participation is embedded.
Some wards have gone beyond the mandate, organizing frequent clean ups and environmental drives.
The real power of Zomba’s clean-up revolution lies in its sustainability.
The combination of local committee leadership, by-laws, and ongoing sensitization means communities are not just taking part—they are leading, teaching each other, holding themselves accountable, and protecting shared spaces without being told to do so.
The current trend regarding environmental interventions in Zomba aligns with the vision of the City’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Archangel Bakolo.
“I want the vision of a green and clean Zomba City to become a shared culture embraced by both council staff and residents,” said Bakolo.
To make the vision real, the Council has partnered with local universities, and together, they have launched Town Hall meetings to support environmental committees in the city.
These collaborations are helping to close the gaps between leadership and everyday citizens.
“My desire is that by the time I leave office, Zomba truly reflects that vibrant, sustainable identity of a place where green is not enforced but voluntarily chosen,” Bakolo said.
Zomba’s ambitious clean and green city initiative also aligns with the Malawi Vision 2063 development agenda, which emphasizes environmental preservation for future generations.
Concluding Analysis
Zomba’s story demonstrates how shared responsibility can turn environmental policy into a living culture.
The collaboration between citizens, local committees, and the City Council reflects a model that other Malawian cities can emulate.
By linking environmental interventions with income generation, education, and by-laws, Zomba is ensuring that the clean and green vision is not just a campaign but a movement owned by the people.
If sustained, this initiative could redefine the relationship between local government and citizens, setting a precedent where communities do not wait to be served but instead take leadership in shaping their own sustainable future.
