Malga queries DCs inter-dictions
The Malawi L o c a l Government Association (Malga) has questioned the interdiction of district commissioners (DCs) and chief executive officers (CEOs) in all 35 councils in Malawi on allegations
of Covid-19 funds mismanagement.
In a statement dated February 21 2021, co-signed by Malga acting executive director Hadrod Mkandawire and Blantyre City Mayor Wild Ndipo, who is also Malga president, the association is asking why all interdicted officers have received a generic letter which does not indicate the interdiction time frame despite President Lazarus Chakwera saying the investigation should take a month.
Malga, an association of local government authorities in the country, has since warned that it will legally challenge any unsatisfactory outcome of the investigations, adding it hopes that the interdiction will be done in a transparent
manner and will not victimise some officers.
In a telephone interview on Monday, Mkandawire said it was shocking that the DCs and CEOs have been interdicted without following rules of natural justice.
Reads part of the statement: “Rules of natural justice demand that any person alleged to be in the wrong should be given an opportunity to be heard before a substantive decision is made. However, none of the 35 controlling officers was given an opportunity to be heard before the interdictions were effected.”
Malga added that it is unfortunate that that many of them heard about their interdiction on social media, calling for a transparent process “with due regard to the relevant laws”.
It reads further: “The prA copy of the letter of interdiction, also dated February 21 2021, states that the officers are interdicted for allegedly failing to submit expenditure reports and to maintain proper records of how Covid-19 funds were utilised in their councils.
During interdiction, the letter states, the concerned officers are not allowed to leave the country without permission from their employer, the Ministry of Local Government.
In his address on February 14 2021, Chakwera directed that all cluster heads be suspended.
Said the President: “I have directed the Secretary to the President and Cabinet to effect the immediate suspension of all cluster heads, some for failing to maintain proper records of how such critical funds were used and others for defying my directive to submit reports weekly to my office.”
But it is not clear if all the cluster heads have been suspended or interdicted. What is publicly confirmed is that apart from DCs and CEOs for councils, Ministry of Local Government Principal Secretary (PS) Charles Kalemba has also been interdicted.
A list of cluster heads we sourced from the Office of the President and Cabinet has the following PSs:
Dr. Charles Mwansambo (Health), Chikondano Mussa (Education), and Kennedy Nkhoma (Homeland Security).
The following heads of institutions are also on the list: Malawi Defence Force (MDF) Commander General Vincent Nundwe, Inspector General (IG) of Police Dr. George Kainja, among others.
A random check we conducted with these officers, showed that some were not even aware that they are heading clusters.
Said Nkhoma: “I don’t even know that I head a cluster but about the interdiction, I am not sure because I am not in the office right now.”
Kainja said: “I am still working as IG and I am not aware that I head a cluster.”
In a separate telephone interview yesterday, Nundwe also said he does not head any cluster and that MDF has not misappropriated any funds; hence, the interdictions do not affect MDF.
He said: “For your own information, the K85 million we got out of K6.2 billion is still intact as it was given to us in November. So, we have sought permission to use these funds alongside the K100 million which has just been allocated to us.”
Efforts to seek clarity from government proved futile as our phone calls and questionnaire to Secretary to President and Cabinet Zangazanga Chikhosi, his deputy Janet Banda and Minister of Information Gospel Kazako, who is the official government spokesperson, were not answered
