Africa-Press – Malawi. By Isaac Salima:
Several outgoing ward councillors have called for greater commitment from the Central Government to improve the operations of local councils, which continue to face significant funding challenges.
Reports indicate that councils currently face a K17.4 billion deficit for the first quarter of 2025.
Reflecting on the past five years in Zomba, former City Mayor Christopher Jana said while Malawi has been good at creating policies to strengthen local councils, implementation has been lacking.
“When you read the documents on improving local council operations, they appear flawless. But in practice, many activities are carried out by ministry officials rather than local authorities.
“These officials should be monitoring, not doing the work themselves while claiming allowances. For example, we have a fuel levy that is meant for the Roads Authority.
“Councils were mandated to maintain secondary roads, yet they do not receive the funds – they still go to the Central Government,” Jana said.
He also cited chronic funding issues as a major obstacle to effective council operations.
Malawi adopted a decentralisation policy several years ago to empower local councils, but its implementation remains inconsistent.
Edward Simwaka, outgoing councillor for Chibanja Ward in Mzuzu, said the government needs to investigate why councils are still struggling.
“Most councils rely on ground levies and city rates, which are unreliable. For instance, Mzuzu City Council is still recovering from the financial impact of Covid-19, which left us in debt,” Simwaka said.
Former Kasinje Ward councillor in Ntcheu, Joshua Kwachera, said funding issues were a major concern during his tenure.
“There were times when we couldn’t even hold council meetings. If the government ensures timely and adequate funding, councils can truly drive local development,” he said.
Speaking on Times Radio’s Kulinji programme on Monday, Minister of Local Government Richard Chimwendo Banda said the government allocates funds based on priorities.
“When we allocate K50 million to a particular council, it doesn’t mean the funds are immediately available.
“Councils also need to account for previous allocations before receiving more. These guidelines were introduced to prevent corruption and misuse of resources,” Chimwendo Banda said.
A report released last week by the Malawi Local Government Association indicated that councils received only 70 percent of their allocated funding for the first quarter of 2025.
For More News And Analysis About Malawi Follow Africa-Press
