Court rebuffs defiant DCs and CEOs

The High Court in Blantyre has thrown out an application by some District Commissioners-DCs and council CEOs who were challenging their transfers and redeployment.

Through the Malawi Local Government Association – MALGA, the disgruntled district and council heads sought an injunction pending judicial review on the matter.

Delivering her ruling, Justice Jean Kaira observed that MALGA did not have sufficient interest to maintain the application for the judicial review.

The decision, according to Senior State Advocate from the office of the Attorney General, Chrispin Kalusa, means that the government’s initial decision will be effected.

“The government is now at liberty to transfer the DCs to the said districts owing to the fact that the injunction that was granted by the court has been discharged.” He said.

Meanwhile, lawyer for MALGA Davis Njobvu hints that after consultations with his clients, the matter may be appealed.

He said; “the possibility of an appeal is there but since we work on instructions from the clients and after seeing the ruling we will then see the way forward.”

The fresh court verdict will affect DCs from Nsanje, Chikwawa, Blantyre, Neno, Mwanza, Dedza, Mangochi, Nkhatabay and Karonga while the CEOs are from Luchenza and Kasungu municipal councils.