MALAWI:   LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT, 1998                                                     MALAWI SDNP
 
 
 
  PART V-POWERS OF THE ASSEMBLY
 
General  
powers		 24. (1) An Assembly shall have power to-
              a) subject to section 49, borrow or lend money; 

             (b) acquire or dispose of any property or nghts which is calculated to facilitate, 
                  or is conducive or incidental to, the discharge of any of the functions of the 
                  Assembly. 

      (2) The Assembly shall not by virtue of this section raise money, whether by means of 
            rates or borrowing, or lend money except in accordance with the Finance and 
            Audit Act. 

      (3) The Assembly shall have power to appoint and employ such persons as are 
            necessary for the proper discharge by the Assembly of its functions. 

      (4) The Assembly shall have further powers and functions as contained in the Second 
            Schedule to this Act. 
 
Staff regula-  
tions 		 25. The Assembly shall make regulations determining the conditions of service of 
      officers of the Assembly. 
 
Remuneration 
of officers		 26. The Assembly shall determine the salaries and allowances payable to its employees. 
 
Secondment of  
public officers 		  
27. Upon the request of the Assembly, a public officer may be seconded to the Assembly 
      for such periods and upon such terms  and conditions as may be agreed between the 
     Assembly and the 
 
Secondment 
and exchange 
of staff		  28. The Assembly may enter into an agreement with another Assembly whether in 
       Malawi or elsewhere for the secondment of  any officer or exchange of officers 
       for the purposes of their functions or for training on such terms as may be provided 
       in the agreement. 
 
Security in  
relation to  
property		  29. The Assembly shall, in case of an officer entrusted with the  custody or control 
       of money or property, take such security, as the Assembly may consider necessary. 
 
Appointments 
to be on merit		 30. Every appointment of staff to a paid office of the Assembly shall be on merit. 
 
Members not to 
 be employees 		 31. A member of the Assembly shall neither be an employee of the Assembly nor serve on 
      full time basis. 
Disclosure of  
interest by  
employees, etc		 32.  (1) An employee of the Assembly or a consultant in the service of the Assembly 
            who or whose immediate family member is indirectly interested in a private or 
            professional or official  capacity in any matter being considered by the Assembly, 
            shall disclose such interest. 
 
       (2) A disclosure of interest made under this section shall be made to the 
            Chief Executive Officer of the Assembly who shall take such decision as he 
            considers appropriate in each case and submit a report thereon' to the Assembly. 
Oath of  
 secrecy 		  33. Every- 
           (a) member of the Assembly; 
           (b) member of a committee of the Assembly; 
           (c) employee of the Assembly-, and 
           (d) consultant in the service of the Assernbly, shall, upon assumption of  his 
                 office, take such oath of secrecy as may be approved by the Assembly or as 
                 may otherwise be prescribed under this Act. 
 
Acquisition of  
 land by agree-  
ment 		 34.-(l) For the purpose of- 
           (a) any of its functions under this Act or any other written law-, or 

           (b) the benefit, improvement or development of its area, 
                the Assembly may acquire whether by way of purchase, lease,  exchange 
                or gift, any land, whether situated inside or outside its area. 

      (2) The Assembly may acquire any land for any purpose for which the Assembly is 
            authorized by this Act to acquire land,  notwithstanding that the land is not 
            immediately required for that purpose; and, until it is required for the purpose for 
            which it was acquired under this subsection the land may be used for the purpose 
            of any of the Assembly's functions. 
 
Disposal of  
land 		  35. (1) The Assembly may dispose of land held by it in any manner it wishes.
 
       (2) Except with the consent of the Minister responsible for land matters, an 
            Assembly shall not dispose of land under this section, otherwise than by 
            way of a short tenancy or for a consideration not less than the market 
            value. 

       (3) For the purpose of this section, a disposal of land is a disposal by way of 
            a short tenancy if it consists- 
 
                     (a) of the grant of a term not exceeding three years; or 

                      (b) of the assignment of a tern-r which at the date of the assign- 
                            ment has not more than three years to run. 
 
General  
Provisions on  
 land transactions -		 36. (1) In any case where the consent of the Minister responsible for land matters 
            is required to a dealing in land by the Assembly, that consent may be 
            given - 
                   (a) in relation. to the Assembly in a particular class of transactions; 
                        and 
                   (b) in relation to Assemblies generally or Assemblies of a 
                        particular class; 

                   (c) either unconditionally or subject to such conditions as the 
                        Minister responsible for land matters may specify either 
                        generally or in relation to any particular transactions, or class 
                        of  transactions. 

       (2) Where the Assembly purports to acquire, appropriate or dispose of 
             land or buildings then- 

                      (a) in favour of any person claiming under the Assembly, the 
                           acquisition, appropriation or disposal so purporting to be 
                           made shall not be invalid by reason that any consent of the 
                           Minister  for land matters which is required thereto has not 
                           response been given or that any requirement as to 
                           advertisement or consideration of objections has been 
                           complied with-, and 

                      (b) a person dealing with the Assembly or a person claiming 
                            wider the Assembly shall not be concerned to see or 
                            enquire whether any such consent has been given or 
                            whether any such requirement has been complied with. 

         (3) The Assembly may carry out any works of improvement or 
               for the provision of services on any land owned or acquired by it 
               and may develop or dispose of any land for development. 
 
 
Suply of goods 
and services 		 37. (1) The Assembly may enter into an agreement with another person for 
            all or any of the following- 
 
           (a) the supply by or to the Assembly of any goods and 
                materials; 

           (b) the provision by or to the Assembly of any administrative, 
                 professional, or technical services; 

           (c) the use of any vehicle, plant;  or apparatus and the services 
                of persons employed to operate such vehicle, plant or 
                apparatus; and 

           (d) the maintenance of any land or building. 
 
 Contracts  38. (1) The Assembly may enter into contracts with any person for the provision or 
            management of any service by that person which the Assembly is empowered 
            by this Act to provide or manage. 
 
      (2) The procedure for the making of contracts by the Assembly shall be laid down in 
           Standing Orders made under section 19. 
Contributions to 
concurrent 
expenditure		 39.  Two or more Assemblies may make arrangements for defraying any expenditure 
        incurred by one of them in exercising any functions exercisable by both or all 
        Assemblies. 
 
Power in respect  
of emergencies 
or disasters 		 40. (1) Where an emergency or disaster involving destruction of or danger to life 
             or property occurs or is imminent or there is reasonable ground for 
             apprehending such an emergency or disaster, and the Assembly is of the 
             opinion that it is likely to affect the whole or part of its area or all or some of its 
             inhabitants, the 
 
             Assembly may- 

             (a)  incur such expenditure as the Assembly considers necessary in taking action 
                   either alone or jointly with any other person or body which is calculated to 
                   avert, alleviate or eradicate in its area/or among its inhabitants the effects or 
                   potential effects of the event; and 
 
             (b) make grants or loans to other, person  s or bodies on conditions determined 
                   by the Assembly in respect of any such action taken by those persons or 
                   bodies. 

         (2) The Assembly shall be responsible for making disaster-preparedness plans in 
               accordance or conformity with any written law relating to or likely to affect their 
               area of jurisdiction. 
 
Acceptance  
of gifts of  
property 		 41. Subject to the provisions of this section the Assembly may accept, hold and 
      administer- 
     (a) for the purpose of discharging any of its functions, gifts of property, whether real or 
          personal, made for that purpose; or 

    (b) for the benefit of the inhabitants of its area or of some part of its area gifts made 
          for that purpose, and may execute any work including works of maintenance or 
         improvement incidental to or consequential upon the exercise of the powers 
         conferred by this section. 
 
Provision of  
information 		  42.-(1)  The Assembly shall arrange for the publications within its area, of information 
              related to local government, and shall make or assist in making arrangements 
              whereby the public may readily obtain, either at premises specially maintained for 
              the purpose orotherwise, information concerning the services available within the 
              area of the Assembly. 
        (2) The Assembly shall publish not later than six months after the end of each financial 
              year an annual report of its work.and of the local government affairs of its area for 
              the preceding financial year, and a copy of such report shall be- 

               (a)  delivered to the Minister;- 

               (b) deposited at every public office of the Assembly and be made available.for 
                     inspection free of charge by any interested person during normal hours of 
                     business; and 

               (c) supplied to any person or to the press or other news media upon- application 
                    on payment of such fee, if any, as the Assembly may prescribe. 
 
Subscriptions  
to associations 		 43. The Assembly may pay reasonable subscriptions to associations as it shall determine.