By Nelson Gonjani:
Ward councillors are yet to receive K6 million mobility loans, which are intended to help them buy motorcycles for use in executing their duties, The Daily Times has learned.
Councillors for Chimphangwe Ward, under Kasungu Municipality Constituency, Witness Mtanga, said they had waited for the loan for more than eight months.
“We are very grateful that government resolved our previous complaints regarding delays and the increase in honoraria, but the issue of the loan [which is meant] to ease mobility challenges is badly affecting us,” he said.
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Mtanga added that the majority of councillors were facing serious mobility challenges while carrying out their duties in wards.
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He said the situation could negatively affect service delivery, especially during the implementation of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), which requires councillors to engage local communities on development matters.
In a separate interview, another concerned councillor for Kavuzi Ward in Nkhata Bay West Constituency, Patricia Longwe, said it was unfortunate that ward councillors were often sidelined.
“On September 16, 2025, Malawians voted for three categories of leaders, the President, members of Parliament and ward councillors, but we are always left behind.
“We are failing to understand the cause of this tendency, yet we play a vital role in the development of the country because the President and members of Parliament alone cannot fully address the development needs of the people, hence our existence,” she said.
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She called on the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to address the matter “promptly”.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Chimwemwe Njoloma, said the ministry was aware of the concerns.
She was quick to say the process required the ministry to submit a request to the Treasury.
“It is true that ward councillors are entitled to a K6 million mobility loan and we, as a ministry, already submitted our request to the Treasury.
“However, I cannot speak on behalf of the Treasury regarding the current stage of the process,” Njoloma said.
On his part, Malawi Local Government Association Chief Executive Officer Hadrod Mkandawire said the concerns raised by the ward councillors were valid.
“We have been engaging all the relevant ministries, including the National Local Government Finance Committee, to rectify the situation, and we can assure councillors that all processes are underway,” he said.
Following the September 16, 2025 General Elections, Malawi now has 509 local government ward councillors, up from 462 before the constituency demarcation exercise conducted by the Malawi Electoral Commission.
