Karonga council officials cashgate crusade: Kyungu call for action

A team of public service reform on Friday was  humiliated by Karonga district officials over cashgate environment at the council.

One of the mansion belongs to Maseko
One of the mansion belongs to Maseko
Kuimo speaking to the media.
Kuimo speaking to the media.
Kyungu and reform team inspecting the  cashgate house
Kyungu and reform team inspecting the cashgate house

The team organized an orientation meeting on the reform agenda to Karonga full council which consist of traditional leaders, councilors, government officials among others.

After their presentation, Paramount Chief Kyungu said the reform agenda may not be accomplished with theft of public resources by officials.

“Despite the reform being the only future of this country, but as traditional leaders we believe that its vision may not be accomplished,” said Kyungu.

He wondered how the reform may be implemented because the civil servants who are its custodian are all rotten with cashgate issues.

“For example, we are discussing here with people who have plundered a lot of the council’s resources. They have built big mansions,  buying cars without being arrested and then you are coming up with this issue do you think it can work?” wondered Kyungu.

Among the prime cash gate suspects at the Karonga council include the district Physical and Planning Officer Philemon Maseko who have managed to build  two big mansions and has bought three vehicles within two years in his office.

The suspects have now come at a point of challenging the councilors because most of the government officials who have been deployed from the Capital Hill to deal with the matter are being muted when the reach the district.

There are reports that Karonga district council has since misused about K51million for Malawi Social Action Fund (MASAF 4) as they were using fake names as well as projects to defraud the fund.

The development has angered the community in the district who are demanding for the official’s explanation.

For instance, group village headman Mwangolera and Chairperson for Lupembe Area Development Committee (ADC) Vincent Kayuni in the area of Traditional Authority Kyungu said officials registered 450 fake names in their area apart from ghost projects.

“Our records show that 1680 people participated in the MASAF 4 works here in our area, surprisingly, officials added to 2130. This means that K3, 240, 000 million was stolen only on this style as each person received K7, 200 in 12 days,” worried Kayuni.

Nelson Mwakisulu who is ADC chair in TA Kilipula said “as in my area officials records shows that they have bought bags of cement, breaks as well as wheelbarrows for different projects but there’s no such things on the ground.”

But communities want government to take action.

“This kind of malpractice is killing development in the councils,” said spokesperson for public reform services Constance Kaimo.

Paramount Chief Kyungu  said government should start dismissing such kind of officers saying “they are selfish.”

 

Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation CHRR) through its project implemented in the district with the fund from the National Democratic Institute (NDI) is said to have enlighten the community on the plunder of resources.

Recently, Police in the district arrested the group village headman Mwenewesha after registering 82 fake names in his area.

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