The Blantyre City Council (BCC) has ordered business operators running beer drinking joints and those that host wedding, engagement and bridal shower ceremonies in residential areas to stop.

The council says this is prohibited according to section 65 of the Public Health Act and Under Section 98 of the Physical Planning Act.

This follows complaints lodged by residents to the council about noise emanating from houses that were turned into places for public ceremonies.

According to a press statement issued by BCC, owners of the residential premises that host the aforementioned public events were given 14 days from 26 November to shut down operations or to apply for development permission and business premises licence, to be allowed to carry on such business upon the applications being approved.