26 councillors fault Malga on DCs transfers
Some councillors in the country have disowned a statement Malawi Local Government Association (Malga) released last week accusing the central government of transferring district commissioners (DCs) without consultations.
Speaking at a press conference in Lilongwe on Thursday, 26 councillors that included mayors for Kasungu and Lilongwe and three council chairpersons from Lilongwe, Kasungu and Dowa said government has the mandate to employ the DCs and redeploy them.
Lilongwe City Mayor Richard Banda said Malga has overstepped its mandate by attacking the Office of the President and Cabinet.
He said: “We were not consulted, so we believe Malga erred to fight government on this issue. The Constitution is clear that government has powers to appoint and fire DCs.”
UTM Party councillor for Mpamba Ward in Nkhata Bay, Joseph Chirwa Thula, said according to Section 89 (d), government has the mandate to transfer the DCs.
He said the councillors will formally write Malga and demand that it withdraw its statement failing which they will take unspecified action.
Malga on Monday told a press conference in Blantyre that the central government erred by sidelining both the councils and the association when effecting transfers of 10 DCs and two chief executive officers.
Malga president Davie Maunde said they will sue Secretary to the President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba if the changes are not reversed. There are 462 ward councillors in the country.
