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Testimonies against Blantyre City Mayor John Chikakwiya went on at the Blantyre Magistrates Court on Wednesday with his deputy Isaac Nyakamera telling the court that he was not supposed to supervise the road works in Machinjiri, a squatter in the city, as earlier reported in the court.
The assembly’s Chief Executive Sophie Kalimba also told the court that she has been “under pressure” and “on two or three occasions the mayor has tried to fire me for sticking to rules”.
Chikakwiya is answering theft and abuse of office charges on allegations that he stole K400,000 ($3,704) which was donated to the city assembly by Bakhressa Grain and Milling Company as a donation for maintenance of a road in Nanjiriri, Machinjiri .
It was indicated in court earlier on that the mayor assigned Nyakamera to supervise the road when Chikakwiya was expected to go to Ethiopia and that this is why the accused instructed directors to give the K400,000 to his deputy.
But when presiding magistrate David Kadwa asked Nyakamera on Wednesday what his supervision of the road entailed, the deputy mayor said he was only expected to pay “boys” working at Chikakwiya’s project in Machinjiri and buy quarry stones and cement.
But Nyakamera said he cashed the cheque from the assembly and gave the money to his boss because the trip to Ethiopia failed.
Earlier on, Kalimba said she was made to sign the cheque after working hours as she had gone out to Lilongwe for a funeral.
The chief executive said “the issue of conflict of interest should not be forgotten” although the mayor deserves a good road. But Chikakwiya’s lawyer Kalekeni Kaphale said he was not addressing that issue and did not want to derail.
Kalimba said the threats to fire her intimidated her and that she was accused of insubordination by the mayor and some members of the assembly for refusing to pay them allowances.
But Kaphale said she could have reported the mayor to the Ministry of Local Government if she noted anything wrong with Chikakwiya’s instruction to make the cheque available to the road works.
Kalimba went on to say that the newspapers last week wrote that she was to be fired.
In re-examination, Kalimba said the mayor is not a banker of the assembly and was not supposed to keep its money.
The case has since been adjourned to January 27 to give the state a chance to get its witness who is reported to be out to South Africa.
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