Residents demand reconstruction of Kaliba Jetty

Nkhotakota residents have demanded the renovation of Kaliba Jetty as one way of boosting water transport on Lake Malawi and facilitating trade with Likoma and Mozambique.

The destruction of Kaliba Jetty in Nkhotakota in early 1990s is derailing trade as business people are facing challenges to board ships because of a trench before reaching small boats that are used to ferry people into the ship.

People who use this jetty are strongly asking the government to reconstruct it so that it can be similar to Chipoka Jetty in Salima and Nkhatabay Jetty.

Malawi24 interviewed one business woman who regularly go to Likoma Island to buy “Usipa” fish.

The businesswoman expressed concern that she and several other businesspeople face challenges to board the ship or ferry cartons of “Usipa” into the mainland because the small boats used do not reach the shores of Lake Malawi at the jetty.

According to the woman, this delays transportation of their goods and forces her to hire local people who have boats to help in ferrying her “usipa” into the mainland which is costly.

“I am seriously asking our government to put the issue of reconstructing of this jetty into consideration to avoid damaged of goods that happen in the process of goods into the ship or from the ship into the small boats,” she said.

The woman added that if government can reconstruct this important jetty, costs of transporting their business items can be cut hence maximizing profits.

“This jetty is really vital to us and if rebuilt will boost trade and perfect travelling of people,” she said.

The state of the jetty currently can be said to be affecting water transport since some bulk goods cannot be ferried into the ship or out of the ship.

According to the businesspeople, there are other heavy goods that these small boats cannot manage to ferry into the ship hence interrupting trade which various people in the district relies on.