UTM president Saulos Chilima has promised to resolve councillors’ grievances over working conditions if the Peter Mutharika administration continues to ignore the elected officials.
Speaking at rally in Mzuzu on Sunday, Chilima who is also Vice President of Malawi, said the councillors’ grievances are well known and some councillors also approached him to inform him about their working conditions.
He then called on the Mutharika administration to address the grievances saying the elected officials are there to help in the implementation of development projects.
“Being a councillor should not become a burden. The councillors should not be slaves or become poor because of a system that was established to help develop the country,” said Chilima.
In December, last year, the councillors asked the government to increase their monthly honorarium from K100,000 to K350,000.
The councillors also demanded that their motorcycle loan be increased from K1.5 million to K5.2 million.
They further demanded K30, 000 airtime allowance, K50, 000 ward allowance and K60, 000 medical scheme allowance.
A group of councillors that was created to fight for the improved working conditions complained that the councillors’ current conditions of service are not line with the cost of living.
“Malawians voted for all of us. Surprisingly, we are only elected officers whose working conditions are pathetic and yet our responsibility is too huge and very involving,” said one of the councillors Alexander Cosmas.
