MP, DC clash over revenue collector

Member of Parliament for Mzimba South constituency Paul Shaba and District Commissioner Rev. Moses Chimphepo on Friday had a verbal combat over the transfer of a revenue collector based at Jenda trading centre, who is alleged to be corrupt.

The altercation took place during a stakeholders meeting held at Tovwirane hall which brought together MPs, Chiefs and other development players in order to discuss progress made on the implementation of various development projects in the district.

But soon after the DC had finished presenting a progress report on the Jenda rural growth centre project, Shaba asked the DC to transfer a revenue collector, Gift Banda whom he accused of being corrupt.

Shawa: War of words with DC

The MP claimed he had received numerous complaints from chiefs and members of the business community against Banda saying he was using fake receipts for market fees and demands bribes for any transaction.

“And besides that the revenue collector has been at Jenda for five years. As a District Council, you need to relocate these Revenue Collectors so that they don’t become institutions,” said Shaba.

However the DC shot back saying his office trusts Banda and that he was the only Revenue Collector who was bringing a lot of money into the Council’s coffers.

“Ironically this is the man who brings to the council K900, 000 every month. This is more than any other Revenue Collector in Mzimba and as an office we find it difficult to remove him,” said Chimphepo.

The DC further said there is no any other person who could bring in more revenue than Banda hence his office’s being reluctant to transfer him.

The DCs explanation did not go down well with Shaba who wondered if the said Revenue Collector was the only person in Mzimba who was good.

“Mr. District Commissioner, are you telling me that Gift Banda is the only person who is better at revenue mobilization in the whole district. Banda is not the reason behind the K900, 000 revenue you are talking about here. Jenda trading centre is economically positioned to produce that amount and even beyond that,” said Shaba.

The DC then said he is going to liaise with the Ministry of Local government and Rural Development over the transfer of the revenue collector to which Shawa hit back saying the said revenue collector was a direct employee and that he was not being fired but just being transferred to another duty station which was a normal procedure.

Nyasa Times investigations revealed that the said revenue collector has built three well structured houses at Jenda trading centre and owns a car despite receiving a monthly salary of K15, 000.

The investigations also revealed that the Revenue Collector and some officials from the district council including the District Commissioner were involved in a syndicate where they were sharing among themselves over K500, 000 every month.

A source from the district council’s accounts department confided to Nyasa Times.

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