Councillors without salaries ridiculous—PPM

People’s Progressive Movement (PPM) president Mark Katsonga has said  it is ‘ridiculous’ for Malawi to expect a strong local governance system in the country if councillors, who are the major stakeholder, will be working without salaries.

Currently, councillors are not entitled to a salary but just a sitting allowance, a development governance experts argued might affect their effective delivery of services.

Addressing  a rally  at Nkhwayi football ground in Chiradzulu at the weekend, Katsonga said the key to Malawi’s development lies in having a strong decentralised government with motivated staff.

“I don’t know who came with this legislation. It is completely ridiculous. How do you expect councillors to work effectively without remuneration? How do we expect them to effectively provide checks and balances when they are not paid?” he said.

Katsonga added that his government will come up with interventions to change the local governance system.

“Sitting councillors will have a decent salary, sitting allowances and a motorcycle to facilitate their internal travels. Beyond that, we will, just after being elected, elevate most chiefs in the country. We will also give more powers to district commissioners so that they effectively manage our local government system,” he said.

Katsonga added that having motivated councillors, chiefs and district commissioners is key in his party’s quest to achieving a meaningful decentralised government.

PPM is also advocating abolishing government’s consolidated account—Account Number One.