Chitipa DC rejects demotion
Acting Chitipa district commissioner (DC) Grace Chirwa has taken an injunction restraining the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development from demoting and transferring her.
The Ministry has transferred Chirwa from Chitipa where she is acting DC to Rumphi where she will be chief administrative officer. She has, however, challenged the move through an injunction which Justice Dingiswayo Madise granted.
Former Nsanje district commissioner Rodney Simwaka, who was in South Africa for studies, has been posted to Chitipa to take over the position.
“The decision to demote the applicant to the position of chief administrative officer and to transfer her to Rumphi district council is hereby stayed, and an order of injunction is hereby stayed restraining the respondents [Ministry and Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development], their agents, servants and whosoever, from demoting the applicant and transferring her to Rumphi district council,” stated the injunction, dated February 19 2015.
Lawyer for Chirwa, George Kadzipatike said his client was not supposed to be demoted without reasons.
Said Kadzipatike. “Demotion is a disciplinary issue, therefore, it could not be done without provision of reasons in writing. She was supposed to be granted an opportunity to explain her side on any grounds that might have caused the authorities to demote her.”
However, PS for Local Government and Rural Development Kester Kaphaizi expressed ignorance of the injunction and pointed out that he will only comment after receiving it.
Chirwa was one of the DCs and officials from the Ministry who were promoted to P3 during the Joyce Banda administration. However, the current administration reversed the decision resulting into six DCs taking the Ministry to court. The decision has since been reversed.
In a related development , Chitipa District Council is grappling with massive vacancies catalytic of graver inefficiencies with all directors at the local government authority holding their positions on acting basis.
Presently, the council has no substantive directors of vital services—a power vacuum that has left low-ranking officials mixing their substantive jobs with the uncertainties and burdens of filling the gaps indefinitely.
In an interview, Chirwa said she inherited the curse of acting heads of department in September 2013 when she was deployed to the border district as acting DC herself.
In an interview on Friday, Chirwa said: “I can confirm all directors are just acting officials. This has been a major issue for years. The acting directors have their own jobs to do. Their acting roles present an extra burden and some of them may lack the know-how and skills necessary for their roles. This affects delivery of vital services to our people.”
District council chairperson Osman Kanyika described the neglected vacancies as pathetic and detrimental to rural development.
