The residents of Jenda in Mzimba District have expressed their appreciation to the Chakwera led administration for the construction of ten police houses, noting that the initiative has significantly enhanced security in the area.
The houses were officially handed over by Minister of Lands, Deus Gumba, in April 2023. In a recent interview on Thursday, Mwape Ngwira, a resident of Jenda, highlighted that prior to the construction of these houses, accessing police assistance during security incidents was challenging.
“We are very happy with the construction of these houses which are within our reach. Prior to this development , we had to go to Champhira whenever we required the attention of the police. This was negativity affecting us,” said Ngwira.
Ngwira said acts of violence and mob justice have also decreased since the construction of the houses which enables residents to dwell without fear.
Ngwira, who is also a business woman, said those who ply their trade at Jenda Trading Centre no longer fear getting attacked or robbed at night as was the case in the past.
“Before this development, we used to close our businesses around 6 PM in the evening as we were scared of getting robbed. Now we are able to ply our trade until 8 PM which helps in boosting our profits,” she said.
In his remarks, Mzimba District Commissioner, Rodney Simwaka described the development as a milestone achievement in boosting security issues in the district, which is an essential component in spearheading the Malawi 2063 agenda.
“The population in Jenda is growing very fast and issues of security are a big concern. As such, the coming in of the houses is an achievement as our officers have become motivated; thereby decreasing the rate of crime,” said Simwaka.
Officer-In-Charge for Jenda Police Station, Greadwick Mangazi said the station has a total of 97 officers and the development has helped to ease accommodation challenges for the officers.
“On the 10 houses, two are for senior officers whilst eight accomodate junior officers. We are now able to effectively reach out to members of the community.
“Besides that, these are quality houses and we have put in measures to ensure our officers take care of this development by conducting routine inspections,” said Mangazi.
Government plans on constructing a total of 10,000 houses for all security agencies across the country.
