Govt moves city council CEOs

The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has moved chief executive officers (CEOs) from the three major city councils to district offices less than a week after demotions of district commissioners and directors ostensibly because their new posts did not exist in the civil service.

All the affected CEOs confirmed the transfers to The Nation.

CEO for Lilongwe City Council (LCC), Richard Hara who was served with the letter last Tuesday, has been transferred to Blantyre District Council while CEO for Zomba, Ali Phiri received his letter last week Friday and is heading to Chiradzulu.

Mzuzu CEO Thomas Chirwa who got his letter on Monday and was yet to confirm his destination as the letter is indicating Mzimba and Ntcheu. Blantyre City Council CEO Ted Nandolo has been spared because he is on contract.

In an interview on day, Hara welcomed the move and said he would be reporting for duties as soon as possible. He has since been replaced by LCC director of health, Vitto Mulula.

“Yes, I am on transfer and I have taken it positively, I know it’s government and that no one is immune to transfers,” he said.

Both CEOs for Zomba and Mzuzu who were promoted from district councils in 2010 and 2013 respectively also welcomed the move.

Principal secretary for the Ministry of Local Government Kester Kaphaizi said the move by government to redeploy all CEOs in the major city councils to districts is not political.

“This is a normal government transfer process and there is nothing political about this. Now the ones who will be employed will be on contract,” he said.

Last week, government demoted DCs, but some of them have since dragged government to court over the demotion, seeking an injunction to halt the move.