By Kennedy Minjale
National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Trust has raised concern over low public understanding of how local councils operate, warning that the knowledge gap is leading to misunderstandings on development roles and responsibilities.
NICE Director of Programmes for Likoma, Blessings Mahata, said in an interview on Wednesday that the gap is evident where communities undertake initiatives such as road maintenance and construction of beach toilets and then demand financial support from councils.
He said such demands put pressure on councils, as most funds are already allocated through approved budgets, making it difficult for local authorities to respond to unplanned community-driven activities.
“To demand money from the council for community initiatives is wrong. The initiative itself is commendable, but attaching it to monetary assistance is where the problem arises,” Mahata said.
Mahata said NICE will intensify civic education by engaging Area Development Committees (ADC) and Village Development Committees (VDC) to strengthen understanding of roles within the local governance system.
Councillor for Likoma North Ward, John Chirwa, said there is widespread misunderstanding among communities on how councils operate, particularly regarding how development funds are planned and allocated.
“What I see is that people do not understand. They think the council has money readily available, but that is not how things work,” Chirwa said.
He said council operations are guided by procedures and approved budgets, which limit the ability to respond to unplanned requests, and called for stronger communication and civic education to help bridge the knowledge gap.
