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| National |
| Assembly workers reject mayor’s directive |
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by
Mc Donald Chapalapata, 11 March 2003
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Lilongwe City Assembly workers union has warned of another ‘peaceful’ sit-in if City Mayor and government officials allow beleaguered Chief Executive Donton Mkandawire to come back at the assembly.
A letter from the union dated March 6, 2003, to the secretary for Local Government and Mayor Charles Chimdzeka, accuses the mayor of not consulting
the union leaders and assembly workers on what transpired from a series of meetings with deputy minister of local government and other officials on the position on Mkandawire’s contract.
Chimdzeka, in a surprise change of heart, last week wrote to assembly councillors, directors and union leaders and told them to recognise Mkandawire’s contract which government renewed despite resistance from the workers and some councillors.
“The mayor may have political or personal reasons why he came up with the letter, but we think our issues are not political and will not be political,” reads the letter signed by branch chairman Boniface Chimbalu and branch secretary a Namisengo.
The union urges the mayor and local government officials to inform the workers that Mkandawire would be going back to the office and it would be up to the workers to accept or reject his come back “because they are the ones being inflicted by all pains and problems inflicted on them by Mkandawire”.
“Should you insist that Donton Mkandawire comes back to Lilongwe City Assembly before you communicate to the workers as suggested, then there will be another peaceful sit-in at the civic offices by all workers of the assembly,” reads the letter in part.
Chimdzeka said in an interview on Monday he had received the letter and read it but declined to comment on it.
Assembly workers went on a two-week strike to try to force government not to renew Mkandawire’s contract and only went back to work after they were told he would not be reporting for duties at the assembly any more.
Mkandawire has not been reporting for duties since early February and is working from his residence in Area 43.
The union, said in the letter that Mkandawire is misusing finances of the assembly, citing residential telephone bill amounting to K700,000 he incurred in 2001 and the K163,000 loan which, the union alleges, is not being deducted up to now.
The workers have since erected a banner at the assembly offices, saying they do not want Mkandawire to go back to the assembly.
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