Malawi hopes to start work on three Chinese-backed projects next year

The government of Malawi has said that preparatory work for three projects to be financed by the People's Republic of China – a five-star hotel, an international conference centre and a national football stadium in the capital, Lilongwe – will be completed this year so that construction may start early in the new year.

A director at the Ministry of Public Works and Housing, Hastings Chiudzu, reports that Chinese firm Shanghai Construction has already completed the designs for the conference centre and the hotel projects, which are expected to cost several millions of dollars.

Chiudzu adds that the Malawi government, for its part, has completed surveying the land earmarked for the two projects, and has also approved the architectural designs produced by the Chinese firm.

"I can assure you that preparations for the two projects are at an advanced stage. At the moment, the project reports have already been done and sent to the Ministry of Finance."

The conference centre will include Presidential chalets that will be used during international conferences.

Chiudzu confirms that Malawi's President Bingu wa Mutharika has approved the concept design for the stadium project that the Chinese have produced.

"All the paperwork for the architectural component has been completed. What is remaining is to finalise the financial arrangements so that construction can commence next year," says Chiudzu.

Chiudzu says the stadium will have seating capacity of 40 000.

"We are negotiating with the Chinese government so that we can extend it to 65 000 seats," says Chiudzu.

The Chinese government pledged to assist Malawi in many projects in December last year, when the Southern African country announced its decision to end 42 years of diplomatic ties with Taiwan and establish relations with the mainland, Taiwan's political rival.

China has also taken over the financing of projects which were abandoned by the Taiwanese when they pulled out of Malawi. These include the $70-million Karonga-Chitipa road project in the northern region, and a multimillion-dollar Parliamentary complex in Lilongwe.

China Road & Bridge Corporation (CRBC) has been awarded the contract to undertake the construction of the Karonga-Chitipa road.

"The contractor from the People's Republic of China is reliable, having done high-quality work not only in China, but also across Africa. The Chinese government identified the contractor following a request from the Malawi government," says Malawi's Minister of Transport, Public Works and Housing, Henry Chimunthu Banda.

Malawi and China are also in the process of engaging new contractors Parliamentary complex, which was abandoned when the Taiwanese pulled out.

China has also pledged to finance components of the proposed $6-billion Shire–Zambezi waterway project, which is designed to link landlocked Malawi to the Indian Ocean by dredging a canal through the Shire and Zambezi rivers.