The government has disclosed that it plans to introduce security mechanisms for district commissioners (DCs) and municipality council and city chief executive officers (CEOs), who will end up having police bodyguards as part of their security detail.
Local Government Minister Richard Chimwendo Banda made the revelation in Mzuzu City, where a quarterly coordination meeting for councils in the Northern Region and some from the Central Region took place.
Chimwendo Banda said DCs and CEOs are overseers of development at district level, hence the need to provide them with a police officer for security.
He, however, said the councils will be responsible for their logistics.
“You are people with authority. DCs drive the dream of the country’s development. You deserve police bodyguards for proper security because you represent the government at district level,” Chimwendo Banda said.
At the moment, the hiring cost for one police officer is K20,000, with the hiring cost for a firearm at K20,000, translating to K40,000 per day or night.
Ironically, this is happening at a time local councils have gone for three months without getting allocations from the government.
The country has 35 single-tier authorities, which are 28 district councils, four city councils, two municipal councils and one town council.
According to Malawi Local Government Association Executive Director Hadrod Mkandawire, the Treasury has not provided Other Recurrent Transactions and General Resource Fund allocations to councils for three months.
Meanwhile, Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency Executive Director Willy Kambwandira has described the move as illogical.
“We do not support the idea because it is not making economic sense. It is coming at a time councils are struggling to get funds from the Central Government,” Kambwandira said.
However, Mkandawire has backed the move, saying other countries are already doing the same.
“In other countries, DCs and mayors are so respected that they are provided with police bodyguards. This is because they have more power at councils. In short, they are the eyes of the government.
“Actually, the police body guard [initiative] should be extended to mayors in cities. These are very important leaders in district and city councils. That is why when foreign presidents visit cities, they pay a courtesy call on the mayor,” Mkandawire said.
