Lilongwe City MPs and Councillors lack orientation, understanding
Lilongwe City residents have called on the Ministry of Local Government to conduct a thorough orientation of its Capital City Members of Parliament and ward councillors to differentiate between management and policy issues saying the Capital City programmes and policies are in shambles due to the confusion at the Civic Centre.
Alexander Matope an Area 47 resident says councillors think that they are in control of management of the City Council where they can control and change existing programmes which management is implementing with funding from several donors had already approved.
“I read with sadness the shame that is coming with lack of orientation to these councillors and MPs. They are moving to become Financial Controllers and accountants this will in turn demoralise the management and staff of the council,” said Matope.
Another Area 23 resident Mercy Litata said Councillors have disappeared soon after winning the elections last May.
“I wonder who they represent. They don’t come to ask us our development views, what they promised us has turned out to be different. I think Government must teach the what they need to do without climbing to become some sort of directors at the Council,” said Litata.
But it is not only the Councillors that are at fault, Members of Parliament representing people in the City may benefit from the orientation if government take heed.
“Some of our Members of Parliament are novices in the august house and in the council. They may be learned in other areas, but in local development they have a wide gap to fill with knowledge, they need a lot of orientation and knowledge building,” said a resident of Area 18, Chisomo Ndawala.
Lilongwe City Council management have on several occasions complained that the Councillors and MPs were bringing confusion by meddling into day to day running of the council including finacial decisions already discussed and signed with donors.
“We have problems with them, they lack basic understanding even on basic things and procedures. We need to ask the Local Government ministry again to re-orient them,” said one of the Council’s Directors who did not want to be named.
Several councillors Nyasa Times spoke to conceeded that proper orientation was very vital but indicated their job is to ask for development.
“Development needs money and if we see that money is being used for other uses such as study tours to learn how we can implement new project, that is understood because donors like the World Bank funded for a good course. I know other fellow MPs and Councillors don’t understand things like these,” said a Councillor also on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile some councillors have complained that the Council is still not updated them yet on several project plans within the City.
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Let me agree with No. 12. Directors and CEO are Happy with Mayor coz they have known that he is money hungry and he can not resist money. Directors are being paid double salaries and fuel allowances. One salary and fuel allowances from LL city Council and another from Donor Funded Projects. How come mult million kwacha worth of contracts for supply of concrete poles, construction of a health centre, security guarding services were concluded without tendering, Check how a woman was allocated land near the Stadium under construction by the Chinese. She bribed her way from the CEO to… Read more »
Backing Directors at the LL City Assembly is a grave mistake. Theyare a bunch of crooks. They take Councillors as arubber stamp for their ill done activities. How can they aithorize plans without the knoknowledge of the city fathers. The directors are not comfotable with the presences of coumcillors at the assembly. For example go round the city you will see that each and every primary school has two new blocks of classrooms The time these project started was towards election rushing development not to be checked by on coming councillors. Crooks,croocks at thr assembly. There is alot of corruption… Read more »
Kunena, kunena izi ndiye zotsatira zokakamiza kuti tiwine, tiwine koma ntchito ikukukanikani. The Lilongwe Mayor seems to be clueless while the deputy is definately clueless. Both of these guys are dull and i cant wait for their two year term to lapse so we can have fresh blood of intelligent, educated people who are not after popularity but work to make a difference! Its a disgrace to see the difference between Chalamanda’s team and the Lilongwe Mayor’s team. Oh please Lord help us!
The CEO and Directors are happy with this dull Mayor since they know they can just give him what they want to shut him up. He listens to no one but the same corrupt directors and ceo. I met an employee of the council who told me that directors call this mayor the “the perfet idiot” for the position. That’s says it all.
The truth of the matter is that there are checks and balances being provided by the Councillors and MPs at the council meetings. This has not gone down well with the corrupt City Directors who were used to embezzling city funds through so many cashgate modes. Mbava.
Lets face facts here. Our mayor seems to know nothing about his job. Reading from a thread of his speeches, comments and his acts one can easily know that he is either dull or he is too old for the job. One councilor was telling me that he is always in the office as if it is a full time job. One wonders if he does anything for a leaving. He continued to say all what he is after are allowances for doing nothing. Our mayor, if you compare with Chalamanda, leaves a lot to be desired. If only the… Read more »
A mayors term only runs for two years….
Directors at City coucil r corrupt thts why they don’t want to work with coucillors. They come late do nothing all day and find ways to make money for themselves.
Si kuLilongwe kokha komanso mmaboma ena onse.Moti makhansala ndi ma MP akumakolana mu zinchito zawo.Ena mwa iwo mpaka kumagwira ntchito za mafumu ndi zotolera ndalama mmisika.Mmalo moyang’anira ndi kulangiza makomiti a za chitukuko monga VDC ndi ADC ambiri mwa iwowa akumawaumiriza kuti nawo adzipeza cholowa cha mzitukuko monga misewu.sukulu,maulalo ndi zina zotere.They need full training so that they know their duties.Akunyanya kuononga.
Does Lilongwe even have a city mayor? What does he actually do? This is very ridiculous! Why not just impeach the idiot?
ITS A CASE OF CITY PLANNERS WITH NO PLANS. WE ALL WANT TO KNOW WHAT THESE CITY PLANNERS ARE BUSY PLANNING IN THEIR OFFICES EVERYDAY? LET THEM COME OUT IN THE OPEN AND INFORM THE PUBLIC WHAT ARE THE SHORT & LONG TERM PLANS OF THE CITIES. I THINK ITS NOW TIME DEMOS, IF YOU MAYORS AND YOUR FRIENDS DON’T JACKUP, THEN WE WILL FORCE YOU OUT AND PUT PEOPLE WHO ARE JACKUP IN THOSE OFFICES COZ WE ARE TIRED OF ALL YOUR SHIT. THIS IS AN EVERY DAY NIGHTMARE FOR US WHEN WE GO INTO THESE DIRTY, STINKING TOWNS.… Read more »