Karonga DC accused of hiring thugs to disrupt strike: Workers and vendors to vacate court order

The long battle between the Karonga District Commissioner Rosemary Moyo and the workers of the council has now reached the no man’s land following the allegations that Moyo hired thugs to disperse the employees from restricting her to enter into the office after the failure of the law enforcers to handle the matter.

On 24 September this year, Moyo was kicked out of her office by the irate council workers on the accusations of poor working conditions such as exorbitant pension deductions and delayed salaries.

Chairperson for the workers union, Bentley Chihana, alleges hat since Moyo assumed the office of Karonga DC, the workers’ welfare has declined significantly.

T he development which prompted the DC to obtain an injunction from Mzuzu high court restricting workers from stopping her from working.

And a group emerged to counter the irate workers from stopping Moyo going to work.

According to the district chairperson for Karonga main market Godwin Ghambi, he was approached by the ex-militant Blockry Mzembe who he described as Moyo agent to back the DC.

“I believe that the group has been hired by the DC because I was also approached by Mzembe who was sent by Moyo to support her to resume work but I denied,” disclose Ghambi.

The hired group which are calling themselves as the concern residents stormed at the DC’s office on Thursday with the petition, expressing their dissatisfactory against the direct employee’s decision to forcibly remove the District Commissioner.

The group petition which was led by the business person Blockry Mzembe based in Nyungwe the southern part of the district carrying the signatories of Steve Simsokwe of Youth for justice and development, Jalako Mwenefumbo of Tutulane palikimo, Abraham Mwakhwawa for Sports among others claimed that the concerned workers are not happy with the DC’s working conditions as she is trying to seal the loopholes of corruption which is reported to be rampant at the district council.

According to the petition, some senior workers within the DC’s office are involved in the malpractice hence they are using the junior staffs to revolt against Moyo as a way of hiding their wrong doings.

“As a concern group we have been following the issue of DC and her workers with keen interest hence we have found out that some workers at the council are involved in the corruption malpractices which Moyo is trying to unveil,” cited the Petition.

Adding that “a clearly example is the misunderstanding which is going on between the DC and the Councilors following the plot allocation at the bus depot in which Moyo is insisting that the law should take its course.”

District Chairperson Councilor Patrick Kishombe said he cannot comment on the matter as the issue is in the hands of the Ministry of Local Government.

Meanwhile the workers and vendors have planned to vacate the court order obtained by Moyo at the Mzuzu high court on Friday as they continue strike.

According to the document signed by the Chairperson for Karonga business community who is also the legal advisor for the two groups, Moyo should vacate the injunction within 24 hours failing which the group will go to the court themselves.

The irate staff has also called for the transfer of their Human Resource Officer Tamika Milimbo and Acting Director of Planning and Development (DPD) Emmanuel Sohaya, saying they were responsible for salary delays and workplace miseries.

Moyo, however, challenged she is going nowhere because she was not employed by the workers union.