Karonga residents stage protests over abuse of council funds
Residents in Karonga on Monday staged protests against abuse of their district council funds by some officials.
The residents have petitioned district commissioner over the abuse of K57 million for public works program under Malawi Social Action Fund 4.
The residents also want the district commissioner Rose Moyo out of office for failing to address the issue.
The group led by Grecian Mbewe representing the CSOs and WavisangaSilungwe as well as Steven Simsokwe for the community demands the immediate arrest of the culprits who include the district Physical Planning Officer Philemon Maseko who has managed to build two mansions and three houses within two years in his office.
“We want the arrest of the concerned officers today failing which we shall hold a vigil and order the business operators to stop paying tax. On top of that the DC should be out of the district,” reads part of the petition.
In one to one questions, the outspoken former Malawian deputy ambassador to Zimbabwe as well as former MP Greenwell Mwamondwe asked the DC to explain why the secretariat failed to involve the councilors and Area Development Committee in all the process.
Mwamondwe also queried on why the DC failed to report the culprits to the police saying “you are dirtying the image of government.”
Moyo who was heavily guarded by the armed police officer failed to convince the group while asking for a help from the district chairperson Patrick Kishombe.
Kishombe calmed the angry group saying the council will report the matter to the police on Wednesday after the council meeting.
Meanwhile, the group assured to come back on Wednesday to witness the arrest of the suspects failing which they will resume to their plan.
Over the weekend, the police in Karonga impounded a truck with 270 bags of cement which some officials were returning to Mlare and Ipiyana in exchange for freedom, that they should not be arrested.
The officials had hidden the cement, meant for development projects in Mlare and Ipiyana elsewhere.
An official responsible for public works at Karonga district council has since been suspended.
Some say some ward councillors are involved in the scam.
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United we stand, thats very good move for the karonga people. Titamatero ma cashgaters asowa popumula. No [aying of tax if there is abuse of funds.
Rose is not the culprit in all this. The problem is those who came before her, who think they can do all sorts of things and everything will be blamed on the DC. Corruption is too difficult to root out because not everything is done in the open.