Mayor Jomo Osman disrupts CEAR’s control centre of operations critical to the safe coordination and monitoring of safe train movements

* Despite on spot pleas that the company has documentation proving it does not have any outstanding city rates debt with Blantyre City Council

* Which the Council’s Finance Department later verified that indeed it does not have any outstanding debt or unpaid city rates

By Duncan Mlanjira

Blantyre City Mayor, Jomo Osman, accompanied by his deputy Gerald Lipikwe and other Councillors and secretariat staff, went on a spree today ordering the closure of companies and institutions owing the City Council of millions of Kwacha — and one of them was Central East African Railways (CEAR).

However, at CEAR, the company management reportedly tried to reason with the Mayor and his entourage that it has documentation proving it does not any have outstanding city rates debt with Blantyre City Council but the Mayor went ahead to order closure of the Limbe offices.

CEAR has issued a public statement, in which it voices out its disappointment with the conduct of the Council led by the Mayor on their operation — citing one particular order for staff in the company’s Control Centre of Operations to vacate the building.

“This centre is critical to the safe coordination and monitoring of train movements, and its uninterrupted operation is essential to ensure that trains run safely and efficiently while preventing accidents along the railway line,” says the company in the statement.

CEAR maintains that the Mayor’s entourage “did not present a formal statement or documentation to support their claim at the time of the closure”, and that “despite attempts by CEAR representatives to explain that all invoices previously issued by the council had been duly settled”, they still ordered the Limbe premises to be sealed.

“Following the closure, CEAR management immediately engaged with the Department of Finance at Blantyre City Centre to reconcile the matter,” claims the statement. “After reviewing the Council’s records and statements, it was confirmed that CEAR does not have any outstanding debt or unpaid city rates with the Council for all property which is under its management as outlines in the Concession Agreement with the Government of Malawi.

“As a law-abiding company, CEAR remains committed to fulfilling all its statutory obligations and maintaining transparent and cooperative relationships with public institutions.

“The company regrets the disruption caused by the incident and it is greatly disappointed with the conduct of the Council led by the Mayor on this matter,” emphasises the company, while also indicating that its “is engaging the relevant authorities to ensure that such situations are resolved through proper verification and communication processes in the future”.

Among other companies that the Mayor and his entourage sealed due to outstanding debts owed to Blantyre City Counci included government parastatal Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC), Malawi Congress Party (MCP) premises at Chichiri near the Independence Arch, Victoria Gardens, declaring that “operations will resume once a portion of the payment is made”.

The Mayor indicated on his Facebook page that Victoria Gardens owes the Council K6 million, which was paid on the spot, while MHC over K400 million and MCP K132 million, whose spokesperson, Jessie Kabwira indicated to the media that it “will pay the accrued amount”.