Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Dr Ben Malunga Phiri touched down in Thyolo District Saturday a packed schedule, presiding over the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Thyolo Modern Market under the TRADE Programme -- a project set to transform the district's trading environment and give local businesses a much-needed economic boost.

The visit came hot on the heels of an equally significant engagement earlier in the day, with Phiri having already officiated a similar groundbreaking ceremony for a modern market project in Limbe, Blantyre, as government presses ahead with its drive to modernise trading infrastructure across the country.

But Phiri's busy day in Thyolo didn't end there -- following the market groundbreaking, the minister was set to preside over a significant royal occasion, officiating the elevation of Traditional Authority Ngolongoliwa to the rank of Senior Chief Ngolongoliwa.

The ceremony also saw Group Village Head Samu elevated to Sub Traditional Authority Samu, with both promotions coming after formal appointments by President Arthur Peter Mutharika.

The dual market and chieftaincy events underscore government's continued push to blend infrastructure development with traditional leadership recognition, as officials look to strengthen both economic opportunity and local governance structures across Malawi's districts.