By Zenak Matekenya
Mzuzu, July 16, Mana: Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC) has transferred its regional officer for the north Stela Sokosa and other two management members over welfare concerns raised by staff at its Mzuzu Office.
The move came to light Thursday when deputy minister for housing Abida Mia visited Mzuzu MHC offices to address the staff on the issue after she toured housing project cites in the city.
Random interview with the workers reveled nonpayment of allowances, nonprocedural promotions and demotions inadequate support during funerals and sexual harassment, among grievances that forced them to close their bosses’ offices.
Besides Sokosa, staff members alleged senior estates officer, Madalitso Longwe and estates officer Roosevelt Msisya as those behind office affairs mismanagement.
When she arrived at Mzuzu Office Mia was rocked up in a meeting for close to an hour with MHC chief executive officer Eunice Napolo and the union representatives whose outcome exposed transfer of the three bosses.
Malawi Housing Corporation Workers Union general secretary Rachel Limbe confirmed that Mzuzu MHC staff complained about top management’s poor welfare.
“The main issues we had here in Mzuzu is welfare. Members of staff demanded transfer for top leadership because of the same and management has agreed to move these people,” she said.
Speaking in an interview, Mia said the issues that were raised by the staff members have been resolved.
“There were some managerial issues that need to be rectified but stayed for months and eventually escalated.
We have managed to sort out the issues. Some were very minor and needed not be solved even at CEO level,” she said.
Mia said the issue of payments will first be verified by MHC office in Lilongwe. She said government is committed to constructing more houses as a way of promoting decent housing for people.
Some of these decisions are too shallow for a whole minister to stoop so low and indulge her/himself in mere administrative matters. Next time we won’t be surprised seeing them mopping toilet floors. Job description is vital in every setup. Some of these ministers have never worked in an office before, let alone heading a department. Now from a pauper to a king is somehow disturbing.
My reading of the whole message is that the problems had been there for sometime, i.e. during DPP era but it was not resolved. If kept unchecked it was going to go on thereby hampering the performance of the office. Abida had the option of issuing transfer instructions from Lilongwe but since she is also doing familiarisation tours, she found it appropriate to handle it there and then before coming back to Lilongwe. Can cadet Marcus Garvey tell us what was wrong here by cleaning up the DPP mess?
Though she has been posted out but she should be investigated on how she used to sell land of institutions, especially schools. I have in memory of Land belonging to Katoto Primary School. The land of the School was extended in 1992 and in 2017, she grabbed the land and sold to private person.
Her Estate Manager again should be investigated too. He was gud at abusing his powers and giving houses to women after sleeping with them.
As for Katoto Primary Land, records are there and officials can go to school and check.
Msundwe youth league ungwelu, cadet macus is right, this story is more of administrative and there was no need for the whole minister to stoop so low to get involved. Staff conflicts will always be there whether its dpp or mcp era and there are lots and lots of such which the minister alone can’t afford. When the people out there know that these mere conflicts are attracting the minister believe you me there will be more problems aiming at inviting the minister for a mere chat with them through the creation of the same. These other things can be handled by the administration or the ps. Government departments have laid down procedures for conflict resolution. This is not an issue for the minister, just work up and remove people. May be some people don’t know what to do with their posts.
You see now, some one is requesting to probe her. So everything will be on the minister to do for them. There are institutions responsible for probing without any interference. There are issues to be looked into to the said land. In 1992 what procedures were there in allocating the land to the school? In 2017 what actually happened, were the procedures followed? Acb was there in 2017 and it was working without favour because we saw people like dr chaponda, change goal, mpinganjira, etc, probed, where were you elliam? Are you trying to make the minister the acb boss and the police at the same time or you are trying to make her direct the acb and the police to fix the removed boss? We are governed by laws and avoid bringing dictatorship in this country.