Lilongwe Councillors close Public Works Offices

Lilongwe district councillors sealed the office of the Director of Public Works (DPW) restraining the office bearer, Mathews Lungu, from working at the council.

Samson Chaziya, the council`s chairperson confirmed the development to Malawi24 saying the Human Resource Committee of the council agreed to do so.

According to Chaziya, the committee observed that Lungu is refusing to move to Salima despite having been officially transferred in November 2016.

He said some of the council’s officers who were transferred in the same period have already reported to their respective duty stations.

“The Director of Finance [of the council] was transferred to Nkhata Bay and he is there now, but for him [Lungu] he plays hide-and- seek. Whenever I am away that’s when he comes for duties. He has been here for 16 years and this is what he has been doing all these years, refusing to go,” he said.

However, Chaziya said despite being on transfer, Lungu has never provided a convincing reason to justify his stay at the council.

Chaziya said Lungu has been at the council for so long and his stay has attracted a lot of audit queries from his office on several projects.

“There are a lot of audit queries on Local Development Fund (LDF) Constituency Development Funds, (CDF) among others.

We suspect that he is hiding something that he doesn’t want us to find out,” he said Commenting on the matter, Lungu said he was not aware of the closure of his office and dismissed the Committee’s allegation that he is refusing to report to his new duty station.

“I am not yet at the office .I got the transfer before Christmas and I just reported yesterday in Salima,” he said.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development Muhlabase Mughogho said the ministry is not aware of the development but suggested that the two parties should engage into contact and dialogue to resolve the matter amicably.

“They are not supposed to seal the offices but rather work towards making sure that they resolve whatever problem or issues they have. At [Ministry of] Local Government, we believe in contact and dialogue where both parties are given an opportunity to speak,” she said.

She further clarified that getting a posting instruction does not mean that one has to leave immediately as there are processes and procedures to follow.