Blantyre at 150 and counting

Patrick Kennedy, 36, migrated from Thyolo to Blantyre when he was half his age, hoping to find work and a better living in the commercial capital.

Today, he lives in the clustered Bangwe Township and walks to nearby Limbe Town to search for casual jobs that help him meet his daily needs.

St Micheal and All Angels at the centre of the historic Blantyre Mission. | Nation

“I came to the city to look for jobs and business opportunities that I couldn’t find at home in Thyolo. Today, I survive hand-to-mouth on piecework in Limbe,” he says.

Last month, Blantyre marked 150 years since it mushroomed from a precolonial Scottish missionary station at Henry Henderson Institute near the central business district.

Kennedy hopes the fast-expanding city of at least one million residents will remain a clean, welcoming place where young people can find opportunities.

His experience reflects the role Blantyre has played in the lives of Malawians who live in its midst, surrounding districts and beyond southern Malawi.

Blantyre has risen from a Presbyterian mission station to Malawi’s commercial capital. | Nation

The city is a bastion of the banking sector, manufacturing industry and commerce that helped transform Malawi from a slave trade hotspot to a commercial hub and create life-changing jobs for generations.

The story of the country’s oldest city began in the 1880s when the Presbeterian missionaries from Scotland established a Scottish mission in the chilly Shire Highlands.

The Reverend Professor Silas Ncozana of the CCAP Blantyre Synod traces the historic mission’s establishment to Henry Henderson, who travelled from the mosquito-infested, sweltering shorelines of Cape Maclear in search of a suitable site on the Shire Highlands.

Ncozana: The mission station gave birth to Blantyre City. | Nation

“Henderson, associated with the Established Church of Scotland, was accompanied by Tom Bokwito, a freed slave who had received an education in South Africa. They explored the area under Chief Kapeni,” he says.

For Ncozana, Blantyre Mission’s influence extends beyond religion.

“Blantyre Mission is the historic hub of Malawi’s modern development. Education, health, agriculture, banking, printing and other key institutions that have shaped our country can trace their roots to the mission. In one way or another, we have all been influenced and shaped by Blantyre Mission,” he says.

The mission helped lay the foundations of a city that would grow into Malawi’s largest commercial centre and the cradle of colonial government in the country, which used to be called Nyasaland as a Britain’s Central Africa Protectorate.

The pastor recalls: “The mission gave birth to Blantyre City, which has grown into Malawi’s largest commercial centre. The connection between the two is undeniable.

“As we celebrate 150 years, we must recognise that the mission’s legacy goes beyond religion to include the socio-economic, political and physical development of our country.”

According to Lost History Foundation executive director Conleith Selenje, the 150th anniversary offers Blantyre residents a chance to examine how a missionary settlement grew into one of Malawi’s leading commercial centres.

He states: “Blantyre has played a significant role in shaping Malawi’s economic and social development.

“Over the years, the city has become a centre for business, banking, education, healthcare and industry, attracting people from different parts of the country in search of opportunities.”

Selenje says understanding the city’s past helps residents appreciate the people and institutions that shaped its growth. He also wants them to consider what could be lost as development changes the city.

Blantyre has established itself as a commercial centre, with universities, factories and institutions that reflect its long history.

Selenje says its historic buildings, monuments and oral traditions deserve protection.

“As Blantyre celebrates 150 years, preserving its historical buildings, monuments and oral traditions is important. These are not merely reminders of the past; they help younger generations understand where the city came from and how its history has influenced the Malawi we know today,” he says.

Looking to the future, Blantyre City Council chief executive officer Costly Chanza says the anniversary should prompt residents to reflect on the city’s journey and their part in making it a better place for all.

“Celebrating 150 years of Blantyre is an important milestone for our city. It is an opportunity to reflect on our journey, appreciate the contribution of generations who have shaped the city, and renew our commitment to building a better Blantyre for future generations,” he says.

Chanza says the city’s growth into a centre for commerce, industry and economic activity has depended on the contributions of residents, businesses and institutions.

“As we look back with pride, we must also look ahead with determination. We want a Blantyre that is clean, organised, resilient and inclusive, with improved infrastructure and services that respond to the needs of its growing population,” he says.

However, he says residents, businesses and other stakeholders must work with the council to protect the city’s heritage and support its development.

“This anniversary should not only be about celebrating our past, but also about taking responsibility for our future,” he says.

However, the city seemingly refuses to grow with its rapid population boom.

Among other things, its rusting factories with few new ones in sight and unsanitary public spaces where waste remain uncollected for years paint a portrait of a city in self-destruction, not on the rise.

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