Councillor doubles as a teacher in Lilongwe Msozi: Constituents cry foul
Communities from Lilongwe Msozi North have expressed concern about one of their Ward Councillors, Misheck Khomba Muhanji of Ngala ward who to their dismay has been discovered to be doubling his elective office and as a secondary school teacher at Minga CDSS a development which has left him neglecting his duty as a councillor.
The development came to light when the National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) were conducting sensitization meeting with the communities on the role of office bearers at Chibwata in Lilongwe.
According to Group Village Headman Chibwata the communities from Ngala ward were surprised that since the elections they rarely see their councillor who was supposed to be spearheading develoment initiatives in the area.
GVH Chibwata said that they later learnt that Khomba is also a teacher at a Community Day Secondary School in another constituency a development which surprised them.
“We are very surprised that our councillor is a doubling his role as a councillor and a teacher. We need you as NICE to enlighten us if this is in order?” queried Chibwata.
NICE District Civic Education Officer Daniel Malango said it is not in order for the councillor to double as a teacher as this is a clear case of conflict of interest.
“According to the Local Government Election Act a person who has been elected as a councillor should not hold public office or appointment,” said Malango.
He said the framers of the laws knew that there should be separation of roles when one holds an elective office and that of the public office because one is bound to neglect the other office.
However, Councillor Khomba Muhanji could neither confirm nor deny the assertions but could only say that there is nothing newsworthy on the issue.
“Don’t you have better issues to write about,” said the audibly furious Khomba in a telephone interview before cutting the line.
According to a fellow teacher from the same school, who spoke on condition of anonymitt confirmed that Khomba is indeed a teacher at the said school and is on government payroll under the Ministry of Education.
Since last year’s tripartite elections there have been a lot of understanding on the roles of councillors and legislators, a development which has led NICE to intesify civic education on the roles of these two duty bearers.
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Let him proceed with his proffession dont disturb this influencial councillor
I think the one to blame is the author of this whole story. He is either an intern in journalism or just very daft. He should have consulted the Local Government act himself not to rely on Malango’s comment. These are public documents and are available all over the country. A councillor is not perceived in the same notion of an MP. I remember some years ago, my neighbour in Sunnyside was the late Luke Jumbe, who was the Mayor of the City of Blantyre then but also worked for Admarc full-time. Not Friday Jumbe his brother but Luke Jumbe.… Read more »
EYA STYLE NDIWEKHA PA TOWN PANO BOLA AKUGWIRA NTCHITO KUSIYANA NKUMADYERA THUKUTA ENA
Councillors works in volutery manner and teaching is his proffesional please let allow him kuphunzitsa its part of development of the community after knock off do ukhasalawo
I was counting the number of iliterate comments and see how someone can courageoulsy and publicly publish a thing he himself doesn’t understand. Am not surprised why Malawi is poor. Your guess is as good as mine oosh. Kkkki hee he de ku nyasalande abale. Even even the civic educators don’t understand a thing. Then the blind will be even more blind than before. The poor will cerebrate Poverty. The iliterate will step on fire. The silly will sleep with a snake and count on its generosity. The donors are tired of you please demonstrate your appreciation and atleast show… Read more »
NICE please don’t misled people. If you cant understand the role of councilor, I doubt if you can provide civic education. I counselor is not an employ that’s why s/he never gets any salary as the MPs does so issue of conflict of interest doesn’t arise at all
Let the gentleman do his work as an employ and provide voluntary work as a councilor. Next time I will not be surprised if you will say a church elder should not be employed
Daniel Malango and NICE must be so stupid. What is civic education when u r just confusing pipo. Councillorship is not a full time job and a councillor can still have another paying job elsewhere even in town. The only conflict is if he is drawing 2 salaries from govt. However, a councillor doesnt draw a salary but a honoraria. Malango shld v been able to explaon to people instead of just causing more confusion. Thats why some of these NGO’s dont tick because they are managed by dull uneducated people like Daniel Malango. Noel Chalamanda is mayor of Blantyre… Read more »
U ppl got it wrong; even football have got rules. Councillors are not salaried and this was made rife prior to the elections. There were debates on ZBS about concillorship being voluntarism so don’t change goal posts when the game is being kicked off. Let the laws bite this educated fool.
Umbuli ndi matenda. Councillor samalandila salary komanso a Nice mukunamiza anthu . Local Government act yake iti?
He promised to uplift education in the whole district, so he is actually delivering his noble work as a councillor. He told he start with illiteracy space n then the othe parts as a councillor, anything a councillor can do to help his people.