Have pity on the good people of Mosta.

Having lived in this locality for a small number of years, I know how proud they are of their town. This huge town, at the centre of the island is central in structure, centred around the famed Rotunda (which stupidly keeps getting called The Mosta Dome, or Dom).

But in these fiery days of August, when usually the town would be at its finest, preparing for the festa, the town resembles a bombed out city. Its central square has become a huge hole and it can even be dangerous if too many people gather to celebrate.

There has always been a huge cistern in the centre of the square but recent investigations seem to have found the top to be damaged. So it needs to be replaced, a huge task. But the festa must go on.

This is only the latest in a series of misfortunes that have hit the town ever since the Labour-led council and its architect mayor decided to repave the square with small cobbles. The idea seems to have come from Paola, which is not a good model to begin with as the general conclusion among the Paola citizens seems to be it has worsened the square, apart from being dangerous on the feet, especially on high heels.

The paving at Mosta is still going on, though one pities the poor workers working through the heat wave. Other places would have chosen to do such works in the evening or even at night, but the Mosta mayor does not seem to be of this idea.

The works in the square are then the last straw. The main streets leading to the centre have been blocked for months with roadworks that never seemed to end. The shops along these streets suffered from lack of custom when they had been hoping to recoup the losses they made during the pandemic.

All this confusion has made it extremely difficult for people from outside Mosta to venture inside the town. Many seek alternative routes to bypass the town.

Most works have taken far more than they should have, but that is common in Malta where planning and keeping to timeframes seem to be unheard of.

This is the latest of the misfortunes that seem to have fallen on Mosta ever since it switched to Labour. Next year, when the local council elections are held, we will see if voters remember this almighty chaos or whether they again get swayed by a cheque or two.

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