SCHEDULES 
FIRST SCHEDULE 
Local Government Areas 
SECOND SCHEDULE 
Additional Functions of the Assembly 
THIRD SCHEDULE 
Sources of Revenue for the Assembly
An Act to amend and consillidate the law relating to local government and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. 
ENACTED by the Parliament of Malawi as follows:- 
 
PART I - PRELIMINARY 
 
 Short Title and Commencement  This Act may be cited as the Local Govrnment Act, 1998 and shall come inot operation on such a date as the Minister may, by notice publish in the Gazett, appoint. 
 
Interpretation   In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires - "Assembly" means an Assembly specified in the second column of the  First Schedule.
 
     "immediate family member", in relation to any person, means that personls 
      spouse, child, parent, brother or sister. 
 
     "Local Authority" means a District Assembly, Town Assembly, Municipal 
      Assembly or City Assembly constituted under this Act; 

     "Local Government area" means an are under the jurisdiction of a District 
     Assembly, Town Assembly, Municipal Assembly or City Assembly.

 
 
 
PART II - LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS 
Division 1 - Objectives and Areas
 
Objectives of local government 3.  The objectives of local government shall be to further the constitutional 
     order based on democratic principles, accountability, transperancy and 
     participation of the people in decision-making and development precess. 
 
Local  
government  
areas
4.  (1)  For the administration of local government, there shall be local 
           government areas which sahll comprise the areas respectively 
           described in the first column of the Frist Schedule.
     (2)  The Minister may, from time to time, by order published in a Gazette 
           declare any local government area to be a township or a municipality. 

     (3)  The President may, by order published in the Gazette, confer the title 
           and dignity of "City" on any Municipality. 

     (4)  The President may, by notice publish in the Gazette, amend the First 
           Schedule. 
 

 
 
Division 2 - Constitution and Functions
 
Composition of the Assembly 5.  (1)  For every local government area there shall be an Assembly consisting 
           of:-
           (a)  One member elected from each ward within the local government 
                  area; 

           (b)  Traditional Authorities and Sub-Traditional Authorities from the 
                  local government area as non-voting members ex-officio. 

           (c)  Members of Parliament from the constituencies that fall within the 
                 local government area as non-voting members ex-officio; and 

           (d)  Five persons as non-voting members to be appointed by the 
                 elected members to cater for the interets of such special interest 
                 groups as the Assembly may determine. 

     (2)  Each Assembly shall be a body corporate by the name "The District 
           Assembly of ...." or "The Town Assembly of ......." or "Municipal 
           Assembly of ....." as the case may be, with the addition  of the name of 
           the particular district, town, municipality or city. 
 

Functions of  
the Assembly
6.  (1)  The Assembly shall perform the following functions:- 
 
 
            (a)  to make policy and decisions on local governance abd development 
                  for the local government area; 

            (b)  to consolidate and promote local democratic institutions and 
                  democratic participation; 

            (c)  to promote infrastructural and economic development through the 
                  formulation, approval and execution of district development plans. 

            (d)  to mobilize resources within the local government area for 
                   government and development; 

            (e)  to maintain peace and security in the local government area in 
                  conjunction with the Malawi Police Service. 

            (f)  to make by-laws for the good governance of the local government 
                 area; 

            (g)  to appoint, develop, promote and discipline its staff 

            (h)  to co-orparate with their Asssemblies in order to learn from their 
                  experiences and exchange ideas; 

             (i)  to perform other functions other functions including the registration of 
                  births and deaths and participate in the delivery of essential local 
                  services. 
 

     (2)  In addition to the functions specified in subsection (1), the Assembly shall 
           also perform the functions stated in the Second Schedule. 

     (3)  The Minister may, on the written request of an Assembly, exempt the 
            Assembly from any of the functions specified in the Second Schedule. 

     (4)  The Minister may, by notice published in the Gazette, amend the Second 
            Schedule.

 
Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Assembly 7.  (1)  Members of the Assembly shall, at their first meeting elect, from 
           amongst their number, a Chairman and the Vice-Chairman. 
 
     (2)  The Chairman shall be the head of the Assembly and shall serve for a 
            period of five years unless sooner replaced. 

     (3)  The Chairman shall be responsible for the observance of the provisions 
           of this Act and shall provide leadership in the Assembly. 

     (4)  The Assembly shall pay the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman and other 
            members of the Assembly such allowances as the Minister may, on the 
            recmmendation of the Local Government Finance Committee, 
           determine. 
 

Procedure at 
meetings of the 
Assembly
8.  (1)  The procedure to be followed at the meetings of the Assembly shall be 
            as laid down in Standing Orders made by the Assembly under 
            section 19.
 
(2)  At a meeting of the Assembly of the Assembly, the third of the elected 
      members shall form a quorum. 
 
Mayor and  
Deputy 
Mayor
9.  The Chairman and Vice-Chairman of a City Assembly or Municipal 
     Assembly may have the title of Mayor and Deputy Mayour, respectively 
     and any reference in this Act to the Chairman or Vice Chairman of the 
     Assembly may construed as including a reference to the Mayor or Deputy 
     Mayor. 
 
Elected 
member (No .24 
of 1996)
10.  A member of the Assembly referred to in section 5 (1) (a) shall be elected 
       in accordance with the Local Government Elections Act. 
 
Desgnination 
of head of the 
Assembly 
Secretariat
11.  (1)  There shall be in the Assembly an officer designated as the Chief 
             Executive Officer of the Assembly who shall be the head of the 
             Secretariat of the Assembly.
       (2)  The Chief Executive Officer of the Assembly shall be appointed by 
              the Assembly. 

        (3)  The Chief Executive Officer if the Assembly shall, subject to the 
               general or special direction of the Assembly, be responsible for:- 

              (a)  implementing the resolutions of the Assembly; 

              (b)  the day to day performance of the executive and administrative 
                     functions of the Assembly; 

              (c)  the supervision of the departments of the Assembly; and 

              (d)  the proper management and discipline of the staff of the 
                    Assembly