Abstract

The Government of Malawi adopted prima facie growth centre strategy as a panacea for spatial development imbalances and as a stimulant for further regional development. Prior to the implementation of growth centre strategy however, there was need to confirm or reject the theory. The problem was lack of sufficient posterior evidence because no known scientific study has been undertaken to test the theory. The study therefore, analysed growth centre theory as a basis of regional development planning in Malawi, using the cases of Liwonde and Luchenza Secondary Centres, from 1976 to 2006. In order to make a scientific analysis, the theory’s concepts were subdivided into propositions, of which each formed a research question. The case study was designed to deduce academic knowledge from a theory. Data collection methods were basically observational. Methods included a survey of 500 systematically sampled household heads using face-to-face interview questionnaires; focus group discussions with five conveniently sampled participant groups; observations using growth centre checklist for primary data; and desk research for secondary data. Quantitative data analysis methods were used basically to confirm results at the p<0.05 alpha level of significance. Techniques to determine statistic significance of results involved correlations, chi-square, and analysis of variance using Scientific Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), Microsoft Excel and Moonstat software tools. Qualitative data analysis involved grounded growth centre theory analysis. Results were analysed using both quantitative and qualitative methods. At the p<0.05 alpha level, quantitative analysis of the conceived and perceived spatial development role and characteristics of Liwonde and Luchenza growth centres, was found to be statistically significant. Furthermore, respondents from both centres agreed that government should designate more growth centres. With regard to migrants and non-migrants, results were statistically significant in Liwonde and Luchenza. In terms of housing services, results revealed a significant difference improvement from tradition to semi-permanent household dwellings in both centres. Finally, grounded growth centre theory analysis showed a substantial improvement in rural-urban linkages between centres and their hinterland, allocative efficiency of health services in Liwonde and basic education services in Luchenza but allocative inefficiency of basic public education services in vii Liwonde and public heath services in Luchenza. Findings therefore, exhibited significant evidence that growth centre theory is a basis of regional development in Malawi. However, given the case study approach undertaken in this study and the relatively small number of growth centres investigated, there is not yet sufficient empirical evidence to generalise the findings to unsurveyed centres in Malawi, or to develop a gravity model that could predict long-term impact of growth centre strategy on the rate of urbanisation. There is therefore, need for further research in the other growth centres.

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School	: School of Natural and Applied Sciences
Issued Date	: 2009

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