Ward Councilors and Members of Parliament in Zomba have given Zomba District Council’s Director of Finance, Mahamudu Hassan, and Director of Public Works, Harry Mara, 30 days to leave office for alleged failure to discharge their duties.
The councilors and the parliamentarians expressed their dissatisfaction over the two directors’ performance during a full council meeting Monday afternoon.
The councilors and MPs said they will close the two directors’ offices if they fail to leave by the end of 30 days.
They became angry after learning that Zomba District Council has failed to receive K729 million for Governance to Enable Service Delivery (GESD) projects.
The councilors and legislators further alleged that the Zomba District Council failed to utilise funds meant for previous GESD projects.
In an interview after the full council meeting, Chair for Zomba District Council, Councilor, Brazio Chinthenga alleged that K75 million meant for borehole drilling was misappropriated.
Chinthenga further alleged that K8 million meant for GESD was transferred to another account such that the National Local Government Finance Committee faulted the council for the anomaly.
The MPs have also warned the council’s Director of Health and Social Services and Director of Planning and Development that they will be chased from office if they continue underperforming.
In the full council meeting, the ward Councilors and Members of Parliament agreed that Director of Agriculture, Environment Natural Resources should not be posted away per recent directive of postings saying the director is a performer and that the council could not afford to lose such a human resource.
Zomba District Commissioner, Reignhard Chavula explained that Director of Finance transfered the K8 million to another account fearing that the money would be taken back to the Treasury as financial year was coming to an end.
Chavula added that this was a justified decision though this did not please the Local Government Finance Committee.
On the call for two directors to leave office by the end of 30 days, the DC said she will write Ministry of Local Government on the issue.
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