Mzuzu school blocks delayed, council accused of corruption
The community remains resolute in seeking answers from the authorities amidst ongoing controversy. While optimism wanes, the once-hopeful community grapples with disappointment and disillusionment.
Mzuzu, Malawi-The vibrant communities of Chiputula, Katoto, and Lupaso in Mzuzu were abuzz with excitement as they looked forward to the completion of low-cost classroom blocks, a project that Mzuzu City Council claimed it funded to the tune of K100 million as part of the COVID-19 response initiative to the education sector, writes Tionge Hara.
Malawi registered its first COVID-19 case on April 2, 2020, prompting the government to allocate K6.2 billion to bolster the response efforts.
The funding aimed to strengthen the capacity of district councils to manage and respond to the COVID-19 outbreak in their respective regions.
The Mzuzu City Council received K100 million in funding for the education sector. The council claimed to have used this money to build low-cost classroom blocks in several schools.
While the allocation and disbursement of funds followed a fair distribution approach, focusing on healthcare infrastructure, public health measures, and socioeconomic support, the reality on the ground is far from these intentions.
Nearly three years after the funds were disbursed, the city council has yet to complete the promised construction of the low-cost school blocks and conflicting accounts of fund usage have left the community bewildered and disheartened.
Macdonald Gondwe, Public Relations Officer (PRO) for Mzuzu City Council, assured AfricaBrief that K100 million from the education sector was used to construct low-cost school blocks and provide handwashing facilities, as initially intended.
"As the council, we received various windows of COVID-19 funds, health sector, education sector, etc. As the council, we used 100 million for the education sector to build low-cost classroom blocks at Chiputula, Katoto, and Lupaso," affirmed Gondwe.
"While there might be some confusion, rest assured that the schools have new facilities."
However, mounting evidence from ongoing investigations paints a different picture.
Audit reports reveal that approximately K10 million of the funds were diverted to non-Covid activities in Mzuzu.
About K3.23 million were used for unintended purposes, close to K6.25 million were spent without proper budgeting and deemed ineligible for expenditure, and around K808,000.00 were spent on unjustified risk allowance payments.
These transactions were approved by the City Council's Chief Executive Officer, Gomezgani Nyasulu, according to our investigations, which the Public Relations Officer also confirmed.
Despite Local Government Circular Number REF.MOLGRD/1/21 dated May 19, 2020, explicitly prohibiting the use of funds for non-Covid-related activities, a review of payment vouchers and records for Mzuzu City Council reveals that funds were directed towards projects unrelated to the pandemic response.
For instance, the funds were used to purchase construction materials for the Chiputula Market, including cement, quarry stones, river sand, and fuel.
Additionally, wages and allowances for labourers and supervisors involved in the construction of the Katawa market were paid using these funds.
AfricaBrief's on-site inspections of the Primary Schools of Chiputula, Katoto, and Lupaso, the schools designated for the projects, reveal no signs of the promised constructions, and administrators vehemently deny the existence of any new school blocks.
Linda Luhanga, Principal of Katoto Primary School, refutes claims of new classroom block construction.
"Despite our school's desperate need for additional classrooms due to high enrollment," she explains, "we received no assistance from the council for extra classroom space."
The school operates on a double-shift system, which had to be further divided to accommodate students, resulting in fewer lessons each day.
While the school received handwashing facilities, sanitiser liquid, and soap in batches, Luhanga insists that the school did not receive any low-cost classroom blocks, contrary to the council's statements.
Similar statements emerged from Ollens Msonda, the head teacher of Chiputula Primary School.
He clarifies that the school's existing classroom block was built by the Disaster and Relief Management (Dodma) office, which provided K4 million, with community contributions of K6 million and K1 million from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) account.
A letter obtained by AfricaBrief supports Msonda's claims.
In a letter dated August 26, 2021, addressed to the Council, Benex Mwamlima, Member of Parliament for Mzuzu City, sought financial support from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to complete the construction of a Low-Cost Building at Chiputula Primary School in Mzuzu.
The requested amount, according to the letter, was K1,647,150.00.
Even community members assert that the council has not constructed any new school buildings in Chiputula, Katoto, or Lupaso.
"We have seen no construction activity in these schools," states Martha Phiri, a concerned parent.
"The authorities' claims are unfounded, and the community feels deceived."
In the face of evidence pointing to mishandling of COVID-19 funds, the council's budget expenditure report maintains that every penny was judiciously balanced, denying any fund mismanagement.
The report details that 11 councillors attended the Ministry of Health's COVID-19 sensitization seminars, reaching all 13 wards with 20 participants in each.
Additionally, the council procured chlorine, medical masks, soap, handwashing buckets, gloves, and other essentials.
Despite these claims, community members remain dissatisfied with the lack of a clear resolution to the ongoing dispute over COVID-19 fund usage. Some suspect fund mishandling, while others suspect local government corruption.
The community remains resolute in seeking answers from the authorities amidst ongoing controversy. While optimism wanes, the once-hopeful community grapples with disappointment and disillusionment.
The reported school block construction in Chiputula, Katoto, and Lupaso has become a divisive subject, driving the community to demand accountability from the authorities.