Some residents in Lilongwe are paying huge amounts to Chiefs in order to have their free water connection forms to be signed before taken to Lilongwe water board offices.

The news has made the Lilongwe Mayor, Richard Banda to warn that he will be working with police in order to arrest the suspects on this matter.

He made the remarks at Chinsapo-Unicef Ground during the launch of ward sanitation committee last week.

Banda said what the chiefs and the block leaders are doing something which is wrong, illegal and due to this reason his office will be forced to track and report them to police if the malpractice will not stop.

“My office has received complaints from the residents that there are some chiefs who are receiving a huge amount of money in order to sign the free water connection forms, let me warn you that we do respect you as our traditional leaders but i will not spare you if you are doing something contrary to the constitution of Malawi, when President Chakwera rolled out the project, he never said the applicants should pay something to the chiefs or block leaders for the forms to be stamped,” explained Banda.

Banda has asked the residents to report any chief or block leader to the police for doing any malpractice towards free water connection.

Speaking on the Sanitation Committee, Banda said the committee has come in time when the people in the council have been asking him to improve on the garbage collection and management.

Commenting on the matter, Mwai Sandram, CCJP Lilongwe Officer said the commission is committed to improve health environments for the residents.

“We are very humbled to be one of the commission to work with the council and i would like to assure you that we are committed to compliment the council’s effort of creating a safe and healthy environment for the residents,” said Sandram.

The committee will help in ensuring proper management in handling all the wastes being generated in the city of Lilongwe.