Karonga District Council Chairperson Bellium Msukwa says there is need for proper coordination between politicians and the council secretariat when responding to disasters.
Speaking during an orientation of council members on the Disaster Risk Management Act which was organised by the Catholic Development Commission in Malawi, Msukwa urged politicians not to interfere in the distribution of relief items but instead act as watchdogs to ensure those who are affected by disasters are benefitting from the resources mobilised despite their political affiliations.
During the orientation, Chief Disaster Resilience Officer Sam Gama at the Department of Disaster Managememt Affairs (DODMA) Sam Gama reminded the meeting that section 50 of the Disaster Risk Management Act says anyone found guilty of deploying equipment being used in search and rescue operations or provision of relief assistance to other tasks shall upon conviction be liable to a fine of k10,000,000 and imprisonment for 3 years.
“Councillors and Members of Parliament have a mandate so that people in their wards and constituencies receive adequate and quality national services such as security, electricity and relief in major disasters,” Gama said.
By George Mponda, Mana
