Chiradzulu DPP councillors face arrest
Police have said seven Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) councillors in Chiradzulu face a charge of conduct likely to cause breach of peace after they allegedly sealed district commissioner (DC) Memory Kaleso’s office last Thursday.
According to Chiradzulu Police Station spokesperson Victoria Chirwa, police received a complaint last Thursday from the DC through her secretary (name not provided) that seven councillors went to the council’s office, demanding keys to close the DC’s and other offices at the council.
“Following the complaint, we opened [a case] of conduct likely to cause breach of peace contrary to Section 181 of the Penal Code. The matter is still under investigations. As for personal threats on council employees, we have not received any complaint,” she said.
On why police have not moved to guard the council’s offices where employees are not reporting for duties, Chirwa said one of Chiradzulu Police Station’s routine duties is providing security to all government departments in the district which they are doing.
Speaking in a telephone interview yesterday, Kaleso, who is not reporting for duties following the closure of her office said some of the council employees received threats.
She, however, said no threat has been directed at her yet.
In separate interviews, two council employees said the councillors asked them why they are not reporting for work since the DC’s office was sealed.
“The councillors thought by closing the DC’s office they are dealing with an individual. They did not know the DC is the council’s controlling officer and by shutting her out of office, they are also disturbing all the other activities of the council,” said one of the council employees.
However, Chiradzulu District Council chairperson Emmanuel Kamwendo while dismissing reports that the councillors are threatening council employees, said he approached some council employees to find out why they are not reporting for work when it is not a public holiday.
“I was simply reminding them that it is only the President who has the power to order a holiday for civil servants and since nothing of that sort has happened, it is not fair that they should not be reporting for duties to assist the people whom they were employed to serve,” he said.
There has been bad blood between the DC and the councillors, who allege that Kaleso is a People’s Party (PP) sympathiser.
Among other things, the councillors have been accusing the DC of not supporting activities involving the DPP, which is in majority at the council. They consequently sealed her office thereby halting service delivery at the council as no council employee is reporting for duties.
Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development spokesperson Muhlabase Mughogho on Tuesday said they are waiting for a legal opinion they sought from the Attorney General (AG) on how to resolve the matter.
