Ndipo made the appeal Tuesday night after switching on the lights to mark the beginning of the festive season.

He described 2020 as a tough year citing Covid-19 pandemic which affected implementation of various developmental initiatives.

“This is the time to reflect on how things have been in the year ending and focus on the coming year. As a city we faced a myriad of challenges such as Covid-19 pandemic which hampered some of the developments we would have been implementing in Blantyre.

“But here we are, though we lost some of our brothers and sisters during the year. We are quite optimistic that 2021 will be a good year,” Ndipo said.

Ndipo said they drew lessons from the year ending.

The Blantyre City Mayor further cautioned Blantyre residents to celebrate the festivities with caution.

“Let me also remind the residents that this is the time we experience a surge in road accidents and robberies. Some of us leave our homes unattended to, some of us drink and drive. So let’s be calm and observe Christmas Eve with caution,” said Ndipo.

He further appealed to the residents to celebrate with the less privileged by sharing food with them.

“Let’s love our neighbors by assisting them as we are observing the festivities,” he said.