Days after the Lilongwe City Council (LCC) closed Malawi Congress Party (MCP) offices over city rates, councillors in Lilongwe have ganged up against LCC chief executive officer John Chome.
The councillors, led by Mayor Juliana Kaduya have today sealed offices of Chome and other senior officers at Civic offices in Lilongwe.
According to Mayor Kaduya, the action has been taken due to other senior officers over non-payment of their November honoraria.
Kaduya added that council staff received a letter that salaries will delay as the council has no money and that only junior members of staff will get salaries.
She further said that the letter does not indicate dates when the other employees as well as councillors will receive their salaries.
She also expressed doubts over claims that the council is financially struggling, saying even the Chairperson of Finance Committee is not aware that the council does not have money.
The councillors are demanding the resignation or firing of Chome, Director of Finance and Director of Human Resources.
This is happening after administration staff Lilongwe City Council on Thursday last week sealed the MCP Headquarters due to unpaid city rates.
The offices were reopened after Mayor Juliana Kaduya who is a member of the Malawi Congress Party rushed to the premises and negotiated with officials from her council for the re-opening of the offices.
In 2017, the council told the party that it was required to pay K265 Million city rates for the property which is located at City Centre in the Capital City.
Malawians on social media have since linked today’s events to the closure of the MCP offices last week.
“They punishing the CEO for ordering the sealing of MCP Headquarters,” said one person on social media.
