MALGA petition Mutharika over councillors’ motorcycle loans: Councils lack of funding

Malawi Local Government Association on Tuesday petitioned President Peter Mutharika for failure of his government to provide councillors with motorcycle loans as earlier agreed by Minister of Local Government Transizius Gowelo during the all inclusive meeting which took place in May this year at Nkopola Lodge in Mangochi.

Chaziya: Petitions Mutharika
Chaziya: Petitions Mutharika

Chief Secretary George Mkondiwa received the petition at Capital Hill on behalf of President Mutharika He promised to deliver the petition to the President.

“Thank you very much for this petition. And be informed that the petition will reach the targeted authority,” said Mkondiwa.

Delivering the petition, MALGA President Samson Chaziya said it is unfortunate that all devolved sectors have not been funded for the month of June, 2015 except health and constituency Development Fund in some selected councils.

Chaziya said councillors are still facing the problem of mobility in order to smoothly discharge their duties effectively.

“You are aware that in our conditions of service we are provided with motorcycle loans to enable purchase of the motorcycles, however one year after elections we have not been provided with the loans,” said Chaziya.

Meanwhile, MALGA has requested President Mutharika to intervene in expediting provision of funds to Local Government Authorities so that the operations of the local authorities are not affected.

MALGA has also asked President Mutharika to ensure that the provision of motorcycle loans for councillors is sorted so that they can serve their communities better.

During the 26 May Nkopola Lodge National Conference for the District Commissioners, Minister of Local Government and rural development Transizius Gowelo said government’s delays in disbursing loans to local government councillors, is because the ministry is consulting commercial banks and the Ministry of Finance on the best way to administer the facility.

“We are still discussing with our colleagues in banks and those in Finance issues of interest rates. As you may be aware, the issue of loan is a long term issue which needs to be handled properly, very soon the councillors will be granted the loans,” he added.

But during the conference, Chaziya said government could have been specific as to when local government representatives would start getting loans as they have already waited for a long time.

“Councillors are facing a lot of challenges in performing their duties because they do not have motorcycles for their transport and other people out there think that the councillors are failing to deliver but it is due to mobility challenges,” Chaziya said.

“Now we would like government to give provide us with loans not commercial banks because banks charge high interest rates, for example, for a loan of K500, 000 a councillor would be required to pay back about K1 million which is double the amount and too expensive at the same time,” added Chaziya.

Chaziya, therefore, said it would have been better if government took the responsibility of administering the loans to protect the councillors from high interest rates.

The two day conference attracted District Commissioners, Chief Executive Officers for City and Town Councils, Mayors and Chairpersons of District and Town Councils.

MALGA is an umbrella organisation of Local Government authorities in Malawi which brings all local government in Malawi to speak with one voice on governance and development issues.

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shuaib muha
8 years ago

Am deeply sorry for councillors..

mnyamata oyikonda nyasatimes

Councillors are one of the democratic leaders therefore, minus them democracy is incomplete. Amendment of the constitution to abolish the counciĺors? I dont kno why? Who should amend it and why now? Egocentric and greedy ppo will think in ghat line. Counciĺors are more or less like employees present on govt payroll hence redueced rate of unemployment. Big politicians with their ego pretend to ignore councillors citing financial problems and yet they r busy enriching themselves in the name of cashgate!. Councillors also spend a lot during campaign they should also be recognized accordingly. Give them thier loans. A Gowelo… Read more »

Jelbin mk
Jelbin mk
8 years ago

Is someone trying to say that every letter in a constitution can be amended? That’s a total lie don’t lie to people don’t be a liar as peter muntharika is you mean our MPs can ait in the August house and pass a bill to abolish the presidency?(such as “from the fourth of August this country will run without a president”)? Use your brains b4 you comment I still insist that some parts of a constitution are unamendable even at a gun point. You can change the term limit a president can compete but you can not change that your… Read more »

Jelbin mk
Jelbin mk
8 years ago

Mr myao paja kwanu ndim’mphepete mwa njanja eti? If you change the constitution to not accommodate councillors them it will not be democracy in its totality it will be something else that you will name it your own way but if it is democracy then councillors are in the game automatically don’t you wonder why no any democratic government has not done away with councillors? It is because democracy is government for the people to the people and by the people where powers of the central government is decentralized which makes people take part in the day to day running… Read more »

koma kumeneko
koma kumeneko
8 years ago

Alomwe sakufuna Achewa m’boma lawo malinga ndi comment ilipa top

myao
myao
8 years ago

Jelbin,Zanga phee. The constitution is not a God created document. It can be amended. Malawi has more posts under govt payroll than govt policies. Chiefs and Block reps can ably execute local development than the unecessary engagement of these councillors.Maybe we should start voting for chiefs also. Lets be adaptable to changes and learn to appreciate other peoples suggestion than kumangotsatira za US and Britain who embraced the systems we fillow hundreds if years ago.

Mph
Mph
8 years ago

Koma a Chewa mudziwe kuti bomali munalamulira zaka 30 ife a Lomwe sitimakuvutani chonchi ayi. Please a Chewa tipatseni mpata tilamulire dziko ife a Lomwe. Nthawi yanu idzakwana. Nsanje bwanji. Mwatopa ndi kuvina gule eti. Pitani ku dambwe uko.Chaziya simnyamata wa pa central region uyu Chakakala Chaziya. Pepani a Chewa tipatseni mpata pang’ono tipume.

Jelbin mk
Jelbin mk
8 years ago

If I have to take by comments in this article then Malawi is as was supposed to be (poor) how do you expect a country without local representatives succeed?. Others reach at an extents of calling councillors volunteers, do you really know the meaning of a volunteer? Councillors are being voted for through the ballot box which is very expensive to attain. For a councillor to compete in local government elections he/she is to pay a whopping K250 000 to the electoral commission and this is minus all the campaign costs so I don’t think they do qualify to be… Read more »

Modusi
Modusi
8 years ago
Reply to  Jelbin mk

Interesting! I didn’t know that a constitution or some of its acts and sections can never be amended. Some of these things do not need one to study rocket science to understand them. A sovereign country like Malawi should have it’s own constitution made by and for the people of Malawi. Not copying and pasting other country’s constitutions. A good constitution should facilitate and enhance the welfare of the country’s citizens and not the opposite by being a thorn in the shoes of citizens. For your information, Malawi has a right to amend and re-amend its constitution as many times… Read more »

Chivu
Chivu
8 years ago

Zogwetsa mphwayi!anthu enanu zomwe mukulemba sizothandiza.
Ma councillors ndiwofunika kwambiri kungoti tivomereze kuti boma lalephera.Councillor akudya zingati pomwe mukulemba zonyoza councillor mukulephera kuzuzula Ma MP akuzipangira malipiro komanso kukudyeraniso Constituency Development Fund inu muli mphwe!koma councillior ndiwo popeza amakhala kumuzi.Ndinu zisiru

mangochi kabwafu
mangochi kabwafu
8 years ago

Hey!, govt is bunkrupt and leaderless. On autopilot heading for the hills, kikikikikiki.

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