City mayor Richard Banda told us on Friday the exact date for the event will be announced in due course.

“Our plan to hold the Lilongwe City Summit is still on and we are preparing to have the event at the end of next month [April],” said Banda.

He added that the idea is to give time for the recovery process in the disaster hit districts where the situation is still dire.

“We are monitoring the situation in the districts that were affected by Tropical Cyclone Freddy before setting the new date, however, we are optimistic that by April end the situation will allow us to hold the event.”

LCC postponed the City Summit on 15 March following disasters induced by Tropical Cyclone Freddy in the southern region, saying some of the stakeholders were affected and needed time to recover.

The summit will offer residents an opportunity to have a dialogue on challenges facing the city.

However, Malawi Local Government Association (MALGA) Executive Director Hadrod Mkandawire is on record as saying the Summit will yield nothing tangible, arguing governance problems facing councils can be addressed by changing policies.