Tag Archives: Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development spokesperson Muhlabase Mughogho

Development, Top News

Malawi Govt commits MK1.5bn towards Mzuzu City Council project

Maravi Post Reporter

MZUZU-(MaraviPost)-Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development this week said is committed to allocate MK1.5 billion annually for a period of three years to carter for construction of Mzuzu City Council office complex.

The project is part of local council offices government promised to construct in some districts to ensure that councils have proper structures.

Asked for time to comment on the development: Mughogho

The council’s spokesperson McDonald Gondwe told Nation Newspaper that the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development has given the council the go-ahead to construct the complex.

He said the ministry wrote the council to commit to finance the office building which will house all council departments currently scattered in the city.

Government also allocated MK500 million in the 2018/19 Budget to cater for construction works consultancy.

The project is estimated to cost MK4.5 billion after reviewing initial designs as it will also be used as a model building to set standards for construction in the city, according to Gondwe.

“We have done feasibility studies and other requirements. Right now, we are just waiting for funding. We are hopeful that we will get the funding because government has always fulfilled its promises on projects,” he said.

Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development spokesperson Muhlabase Mughogho however asked for more time before commenting on the matter.

Development, Law and order

‘Malawi Govt does not recognize acting chiefs’ – Mughogho

Malawi News Agency (MANA)

By Martin Chiwanda

Malawi Government has maintained its stand that no acting traditional authority should be allowed to attend council meetings and activities in view of the fact that such people were not recognized by the Chiefs Act.

Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development Spokesperson, Muhlabase Mughogho reaffirmed government’s stand in an interview with Malawi News Agency on Friday.

She said acting chiefs were not recognized at Council level and such structures are only recognized at local level.

The Spokesperson pointed out most of the chieftaincy wrangles have been there due to prolonged stay in the acting capacity because of the attached benefits to such positions.

“Acting chiefs are not recognized at council level. They are not allowed to take part in any district council meeting. They are only recognized at community level,” Mughogho added.

Nsanje Action Aid Malawi Local Rights Programmes Coordinator, Maclean Chimpeni said communities would be denied the much needed development if the acting chiefs were recognized at council level.

He observed that it is at council level where development issues are planned and distributed such that restricting acting chiefs from attending such forums would be denying the communities development which is their birth right.

Chimpeni urged government to come up with laws which would guide the duration of someone to be in an acting position.

“What government can do is to pass a law which can guide chiefs’ succession plan and how one can act. A period of acting should be clearly stated in the laws. Government should make sure that cultural issues should not supersede laws,” he said.

 

 

Malawi, Top News

Lilongwe City Council fires two directors, demotes one

Maravi Post Reporter

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Lilongwe City Council (LCC) has fired two directors, reinstated one and demoted a fourth one, all of whom were suspended in 2016, Maravi Post has learnt.

Those fired are director of finance Jeremiah Sibande and director of administration Dyton Milanzi while director of engineering Julius Tsogolani has been reinstated and director of planning and development Hillary Kamela has been demoted to the position of deputy director.

LCC suspended the the four were suspended over administrative issues not the other way round according to the council’s spokesperson Tamara Chafunya.

Even, the authorities are keeping a tight lid on how the Local Government Service Commission, an affiliate of the Ministry of Local Government which handled the issues, arrived at its decisions.

Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development spokesperson Muhlabase Mughogho, who confirmed the fate of the four people, also refused also to give reasons that led to the decisions.

“The ministry believes in employee–employer confidentiality, as such, we cannot divulge information on what led to the decisions,” Mughogho said.

Local Government Commission chairperson Sophie Kalimba last week could also not give reasons as to why hearing of the matter dragged for two years without making a determination.

During the suspension the directors were on half pay and had all other benefits except for security guard at their houses taken away.

But in an interview on Thursday, Sibande indicated that he was charged with disregarding an approval from the chief executive officer (CEO) to authorise payment of a voucher. He alleged that there was no approval that he disregarded.

Last week, the ministry reinstated LCC CEO Moza Zeleza after clearing him from charges of alleged under-performance of the council.

Zeleza was nevertheless told to improve on service delivery at the council which lately has been entangled in a number of controversies such as inefficiencies and wastefulness of resources, reports of corruption among staff and alleged fraud.

Last year, the council was owed about K10 billion in city arrears accrued from 2001.