DCs outnumber available councils – Minister
: Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Trasizio Gowelo has confessed that his ministry has more District Commissioners than available councils, but he blames the situation on ‘undeserving’ promotions prior to the 2014 tripartite polls.
Gowelo made the confession last Friday when he opened a two day-national conference on Malawi Local Government Association (MALGA) at Sunbird Nkopola Lodge in Mangochi.
He said the number of DCs was increased in 2014 before the tripartite elections with other undeserving officers being promoted to the post. Gowelo could not elaborate further.
“Additional DCs were hired in 2014 before last year’s elections with ulterior motives and these additional DCs have increased the number of DCs and yet we only have 28 districts,” Gowelo observed.
“As a ministry we are doing everything possible to allocate these additional DCs to various positions within the Ministry although we have been facing legal challenges but discussions are still going on to resolve the matter,” he said, adding that once everything is concluded they will be given various positions in the service.
On government’s delays in disbursing loans to local government councilors, Gowelo said the ministry is consulting commercial banks and the Ministry of Finance on the best way to administer the facility.
“We are still discussing with our colleagues in banks and those in Finance on the issue of interest rates. As you may be aware, the issue of loan is a long term issue which needs to be handled properly, very soon the councilors will be granted the loans,” he added.
President of MALGA Samson Chaziya said government could have been specific as to when local government representatives would start getting loans as they have already waited for a long time.
“Councilors are facing a lot of challenges in performing their duties because they do not have motorcycles for their transport and other people out there think that the councilors are failing to deliver but it is due to mobility challenges,” Chaziya said.
“Now we would like government to give provide us with loans not commercial banks because banks charge high interest rates, for example, for a loan of K500, 000 a councilor would be required to pay back about K1 million which is double the amount and too expensive at the same time,” added Chaziya.
Chaziya, therefore, said it would have been better if government took the responsibility of administering the loans to protect the councilors from high interest rates.
The two day conference attracted District Commissioners, Chief Executive Officers for City and Town Councils, Mayors and Chairpersons of District and Town Councils.
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An advice to the undeserving DCs who obtained injunctions against government is that unless you are new in the system, you don’t fight your own employer. Take it from me that you may look clever to day, but think of what your master is planning to do. Lawyers are quick to defend such cases because of the monetary element but will not be there for you all the time.
Let others be trading commissioners (TCs) not DCs for example here at nkhamenya trading centre we want one
There is no way councils can perform under the “undeserving DCs. Assign them to other duties please. Makileni promoted these ladies unprofessionary.
Thumbs up Hon Gowelo!!!!!!!!. Clean this dirty ministry so called local government. Makileni There was no such mistake of having more DCs than districts until Amai sent Makileni to distabilise the districts. All those undeserving DCs need to be kicked out. There is low morale among local government officials because of the way some lady DCs were appointed. How can someone on a non-established post be promoted leaving out well deserving officers. Malamulo agwire ntchito basi.Makileni has a case to answer on this because he is the one who mislead JB
P/S: Councillors should take over the control of the decision process regarding CDF. It made a lot of sense for MPs to have a big say in how development fund was used at district level, because there were no elected officials at the Councils. Now, this control should, legitimately, be transferred to Councillors. Local Development is the jurisdiction of Councillors. MPs should jack up and be concerned with higher level policies, regulations, and statutes e.g. issues in the various sectors e.g environment, violence againnt children and women, road network, agricultural policy, education, social welfare etc.
1. Legal challenges come because controlling officers fail to do very simple things like consulting the affected officers before taking decisions that affect them directly. 2. Let District Commissioners be appointed by a Commission that can be held accountable, not an individual that thinks he/she is the law. 3. MALGA can establish an independent contributory fund. Local government authorities should learn from SACCO. There’s little justification that makes it legitimate for councilors to ask for loans from central government, because their governments are the local governments, District Councils. The Minister should be forthright and MALGA progressive in their thinking. When… Read more »
The loan example you have given is portraying a false picture. You cannot get a loan of K500,000.00 and expected to repay 1 million, unless you repay for a period of over five years.
Can’t Gowelo locate some cute lawyer to file a sort of “constructive demotion” agaist the so-called undeserving DCs? I gather some of high-jumped,Lord, from P7 to P3 on PP ladder.
Indeed we are afraid of councilors;they are a threat to MPs.Ma councilors awa panopa akufuna kulanda development fund yija if timagulira matewera a ana mumudzi.Timaoneka ngati wopatsa koma yiliu LDF money
A country full of idiots!! Stupid politics is killing this country!!!a gowelo deploy those morons to other sectors on the same grades to avoid court casesn