No DC or Council CEO has been interdicted, says Ministry of local government and Malga

It has emerged that District Commissioners (DCs) and some city council chief executive officers (CEOs) have not been interdicted or suspended, a revelation which is invalidating such reports that are rife in mainstream and social media.

Both the Ministry of Local Government and Malawi Local Government Association (Malga)–an umbrella body of all local councils–have confirmed that there have been no such suspensions or interdictions.

News spread widely that President Lazarus Chakwera has extended his whip over Covid-19 funds abuse to local councils–suspending or interdicting 28 DCs, some CEOs and other officers.

The President already suspended or interdicted some officers who had been heading some clusters in the Covid-19 response intervention for allegedly failing to account for the resources they were allocated.

However, following the reports,  Malga acting executive director, Hadrod Zeru Mkandawire, reached out to Nyasa Timesto express his concern over the purported suspension or interdiction of DCs, saying it would negatively affect the work of the local authorities.

Mkandawire added that, so far, information Malga has, is that no council DC or CEO has received a suspension or interdiction letter

“This misinformation will undermine the work of the DCs as workers in councils would not work with superiors who are suspended or interdicted,” said Mkandawire.

Ministry of Local Government Spokesperson, Anjoya Mwanza, shared Mkandawire’s position, saying no one has been suspended or interdicted so far.

“As a ministry, we have not received any communication confirming the purpoted or so called suspension and interdiction of DCs,” she said

The presidential press secretary Brian Banda said 28 district commissioners (DCs) were among 10 principal secretaries (PSs) and five other senior officers interdicted over  mismanagement of  K6.2 billion Covid-19 response funds.

According to Banda, besides the 28 DCs, the interdictions have also extended to chief executive officers for Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Zomba city councils; Kasungu and Luchenza municipal councils and Mangochi Town Council.

But both ministry of local government and Malga said such interdictions are not to their knowledge.