Kyungu orders end of Karonga DEC meeting: ‘K8m cashgate’

The paramount Chief Kyungu of Karonga the northern part Malawi, has directed the government officials in the area to abolish the District Executive Committee, saying there are abuses .

The order has come against the un procedural allocations of land to the district top officials to build their houses, forcing the vendors to pay bribes and squandering of K8 million of Infrastructure Development Fund (IDF).

Speaking during the emergency meeting which was attended by the senior traditional leaders, councillors, business operators, civil society and officials from the District Commissioner, Kyungu wondered where the officers got the money of building the mansions.

According to the Paramount Chief, DEC must be a consortium of traditional leaders and councillors if is to continue because they are the ones who know the need of the community.

“I wonder how you officials managed to build these big houses and a person who gave you the land on top of that I have been told that 8 million Kwacha for IFD is missing at the council which is pathetic, now I declare the dissolution of DEC or else chiefs and councillors must be the members because they are the ones who lead the community,” Kyungu said.

Kyungu warned “if you will not bow down to my order by existing the committee without involving chiefs and councillors we shall invade your meeting and see who is the owner of the district.”

He said there are no development issues that come from the DEC apart from officers getting allowances.

In the DEC meeting top officials from all government departments in the district who also called the technocracy tend to plan and discuss issues on how to develop the district.

Reacting to the development, the district Director of Administration James Tembo who represented the District Commissioner asked the members to call for another meeting which will involve all parties before coming up with conclusions.

Mean while, the leaders have listed three names of top officers to be forcibly transferred in the district, namely the district Monitoring and Environment officer Emmanuel Sohaya, Philemon Maseko who head the land department and the Physical Planning officer Robert Phiri.