KA councillors, secretariat in row over finances

Councillors in Karonga District Council and their secretariat are embroiled in a row over financial transactions reports that management is allegedly failing to release.

The relationship between councillors and the secretariat has been shaky since councillors started demanding financial reports for the constituency development fund (CDF) and other projects implemented in the past.

Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, the council’s deputy chairperson Ernest Mwalughali said councillors want to appreciate how the funds were used and have a background of how the system works, but management is not willing to disclose.

He said without the reports, it will be difficult for councillors to appreciate challenges faced in implementing projects and how best they can improve to ensure the funds benefit communities.

Mwalughali said the councillors have been asking for reports from the time they were sworn in. He said they were promised to have the reports on October 10 but to date they have not seen.

But Karonga district commissioner (DC) Rosemary Moyo said the finance committee has the legal mandate to call for the documents and the secretariat cannot refuse them.

“Perhaps the meetings they are boycotting would be the right forum for that matter,” said Moyo.

Karonga Central Member of Parliament (MP) Frank Mwenefumbo said there is need for an investigation into the use of the funds to clear the suspicions.