House-gate: 18 houses sold for K20m at Lilongwe District Council

A probe into questionable sale of houses on auction is underway at the Lilongwe District Council Malawi’s capital after reports unraveled that 18 middle class and aristocratic houses were sold for less than K20 million, Nyasa Times has learnt.

Chaziya: Anomalies
Chaziya: Anomalies

A battalion of incumbent and ex-officials at the council were reportedly some of the beneficiaries, a situation which the council’s chairperson Samson Chaziya described as “anomalous.”

Chaziya, who made the revelation following a finance committee meeting this week, said that the houses were not only auctioned using irregular procedures, but also sold at unbelievably low prices.

He said the council has since embarked on a campaign to reclaim the houses.

“We want to reclaim the houses because they were not sold using the right procedures,” he said.

Nyasa Times source present at the finance committee meeting who refused to be named said that good houses in the country’s most expensive city – according to Centre for Social Concern – were being sold at as low as less than a million kwacha each.

“How can eighteen houses in a city like Lilongwe be sold for not more than K20 million?” wondered our source.

According to information Nyasa Times sourced from some estate agents advertising in the local papers, the lowest most middle class houses can go is between nine to ten million kwacha.

Chaziya was unsure whether they would seek the hand of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), the national corruption busting body yet.

“We’ve not yet made a decision as regards that,” he said. “But it should not be ruled out.”

One of the beneficiaries, Felix Mkandawire – a former District Commissioner (DC) – denied having any knowledge on whether fishy dealings transpired during the auctioning process.

Mkandawire, now DC in Nkhotakota, got himself a house in Area 47 – also reported to have been sold at a questionable cheap price.

“When I arrived at the council, the process of auctioning the houses was ongoing for the past two years. I do not have much knowledge,” Mkandawire told Zodiak Radio.

Other houses auctioned dubiously were those the council owned in the townships of Falls and Kawale.

The council’s new DC Charles Makanga refused to comment on the matter, saying he was only “two weeks in office.”

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Chemjambe
Chemjambe
9 years ago

Koma guys ngati zili nyumba zake za ku falls and kawale ndiye olo ikanakhala K100, 000 ine sinkanapereka. Vuto anthu central region amangovotera ndi mbuzi zomwe akut bola ali wa MCP. This guy seems he doesn’t know anything of what the whole process was

Chief Chinkafe!
Chief Chinkafe!
9 years ago

Chaziya panga zachitukuko chomwe anthu anakusankhira. Mungofapo za ziiii apa, umbuli wanu ngotani all requirements for the sale of these houses were followed. For ur info falls houses and kawale were built munthawi ya atsamunda. The houses are old and in sorry state. Ogulawo will renovate and make them luk gud.

chinkombaleza gumanyundo gowa
chinkombaleza gumanyundo gowa
9 years ago

If I were the president i could have asked the council to reverse this. People should know of these transactions. We are the government of the people for the people by the people (STD 8 CIVICS) hence those representing the people must come out clearly on how the proceedings will be done and if accepted go ahead if not don’t sell. You cant learn that Housing and other government institutions also made this same mistake. made a mistake. Tsiku lina mudzalira chweeree!

jasi
jasi
9 years ago

Kalemba sadzakonzeka. Munthu wonyasa ngati manyi. Nthawi imene ife ma Dc we were fighting for promotions iye was busy fighting us and Christopher Makileni. But he has benefited heavily. They guy is a wizard. Amafunira anzake zoipa basi. Iyeyo adaba k10 million ya malo ndikumanga upstairs yake. Tamufufuzani ndalama adazitenga kuti idiot ameneyo?

Garnet
Garnet
9 years ago

Koma A Chaziya ndimakuonani ngati ndinu munthu wanzeru kani mulibe? Inu Inu pangani zina Chairman mukalimbana ndi mwai wa anzanu amene anadalitsidwa mufa osauka choncho mudzayenda pansi mpaka kale kale

Brenda
Brenda
9 years ago

Chaziya kodi mukalanda nyumba za council anthu amene anakuvoterani apindula chani? Inu ku dera kwanu mbali inayake anthu akumwa madzi amistinje onyasa penapake palibe bridge osakonza zimene bwanji? itayeni ya nyumba kupanda nzeru eti aaaah muchedwa nazo iziti mpaka term yanu itha inu musanapange chitukuko ku dera lanu Amene akuuza nzeruwo anali pa Lilongwe pano inawakanika panopa akufuna ku user inuyo mupusatu baba anzanu ndi DC Akudyerela anabapo zawo anamanga ma nyumba a up stairs ku 6miles inu mukhala choncho . ZISIYENI! MANIFESTO YANU YA KAMPENI MUNALI ZIMENEZI? sHUPITI

Gringo
Gringo
9 years ago

Iwe Kalemba, Felix anakukwira chani. Gwira chabe ntchito ngati anzako awa: Makanga, Chibwana, Ali Phiri, Bambe, Movete, Siphiwe. These are professionals one could admire. Usakhale ngati azimayi anangolembedwa ntchito yikuwavutawa. Iwe ndiwe seasoned DC. Search yourself

Ngongoliwa
Ngongoliwa
9 years ago

APM STARTED THIS , HE CAN NOT IN ANY WAY STOP OTHERS. FOLLOW THE LEADER GUYS!!!!!!!!!!

Brenda
Brenda
9 years ago

A chaziya pangani zomwe zinali manifesto yanu popanga kampeni dera lanu anthu akumwa madzi amutsinje inu ma bridge anathyoka kale-kale yambani mwakonza zimenezo kaya ya nyumba itayeni ikuchedwetsani. mukalimba ndizanyumba term yanu itha ku dera lanu chitukuko musanapange samalani a chair anthu ena akufuna kubisala kumbuyo kwanu . Kalembayo anali ku Lilongwe inamukanika akufuna kukupusitsani , simunauze anthu kuti mudzalanda nyumba pakampeni yanu pangani zomwe mumauza anthu kudera lanu.

sunderstar
sunderstar
9 years ago

Not only Lilongwe City Council, ESCOM in Lilongwe and Blantyresold houses at low density Locations of Namiwawa, Nyambadwe, area 47,3 at KI millions to senior Managers. This was done between 2001-2004 during the time of UDF this was a complete scheme of stealing Government Properties in statutory bodies and Govt by UDF functionaries who were heading some organisations and most of those houses have been sold to third parties.

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