Lilongwe mayor dragged to court

Lilongwe City mayor Willie Chapondera has come under fire from people in his ward who are accusing him of erecting a parallel development committee.

By doing so, the mayor has also found himself in trouble, defying a court order served on him on January 14 2016, restraining him from forming a new committee which is carrying out the public works programme in the ward.

The mayor was expected to appear before the High Court in Lilongwe on Monday, for defying the order.

According to court documentation, Chapondera did not obey the order; hence, the court had to set a date to rule him in contempt of court.

Lawyer for the community, Jaby Zapinga, said the mayor was served with an injunction on the basis that there are two committees carrying out the public works programme ; hence, bringing confusion.

“As it is now, there are two committees, one is the official and the other one is the one Chapondera created. This [has] caused problems because these people have to be paid and there are two committees running the same programme,” he said.

According to Zapinga, the contempt hearing was postponed on Monday to a later date because the presiding judge, Charles Mkandawire was away.

The court order reads in part “Let all parties attend the judge in chambers at the High Court of Malawi, Lilongwe District registry on the 22nd day of February 2016 at 8:30 o’clock in the forenoon on the hearing of an application by themselves.” n