Former Vice-President Khumbo Kachali’s sister, Sokalawo, risks eviction from a ministerial house in Lilongwe for failing to settle rental arrears amounting to about K10 million.
Kachali got the house, number 10/429 and located in Area 10 in Lilongwe City, and gave it to his sister Sokalawo Kachali. Monthly rentals are at K300 000.00 but he is failing to pay rentals, and arrears have accumulated to K8.2 million.
He begged the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development to allow the sister continue occupying the house and pledged to settle the arrears but has failed to do so forcing Secretary for Lands, Housing and Urban Development Ivy Luhanga to seek direction from her minister.
“Reference is made to the subject matter above and indeed to the meeting we had in your office on 11th October 2016. We wish to acknowledge receipt of the reminder of the MK8, 200,000.00 arrears in rentals for the house number 10/429/A situated in Area 10. As per the aforesaid discussion, we wish to express interest to [sic] continue staying in the house, and to pay MK300,000 monthly rentals,” reads a letter written by Oliver Ndhlovu, personal assistant to Kachali.
The letter, which is dated October 12 2015 and is addressed to Secretary for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, further reads: “We further wish to commit to pay MK2,000,000 being the first installment towards offsetting the payment of the balance in installments of MK1,000,000 every two months, subject to enabling cash flow until the arrears are paid in full.”
Despite the commitment to pay the arrears, Kachali has not cleared the bill, forcing Secretary for Lands to seek guidance from her minister before evicting the occupant.
“I have the honour to inform you, Sir, that Treasury Fund House Number 10/429 was allocated to Sokalawo Kachali in the year 2012. The house is a ministerial house but was vacant because some ministers chose to stay in their personal houses,” reads Luhanga’s letter dated December 21 2016.
According to Luhanga, Kachali requested that the house be allocated to Sokalawo, his sister. But Luhanga says payment by the tenant is not consistent despite reminders to clear the arrears. Only K2 million was paid in October 2016, after getting a reminder.
Despite settling all rental dues, Kachali wrote the ministry, asking it to let her sister continue staying in the house.
“There was also a letter from the Office of the Former Vice President, Honourable Khumbo Kachali, MP, informing our office that the tenant in this house will continue staying there.
“It is however worrying that regardless of the reminders and promises from the tenant that the arrears are to be settled and that the current rent effective October 2016 would be paid on time, nothing has changed. The tenant did not pay current rent for October 2016 and for the other months thereafter. Payment against the arrears was only done in October 2016,” reads Luhanga’s letter.
Luhanga, who was recently deployed to another ministry, said, despite failing to pay rent, the tenant has been requesting for maintenance services at the house.
“This means that the tenant is benefitting from rent money paid by other tenants for repairs to be done at this house since she is heavily defaulting on rent payment. A continued occupation at the house by the current tenant is likely to lead to unprecedented huge arrears which will be difficult for the office to recover and account for as required by the Public Finance Management Act,” reads the letter.
The letter says: “In view of the foregoing, Sir, I seek your indulgence on the matter because, as government, we need to recover our money before considering the option of termination of the lease.”
In an interview, Kachali’s personal assistant, Ndhlovu, who wrote the ministry on behalf of the former Vice President, said yesterday that he was not in a position to comment on the matter.
“I do not think I am in a position to say anything. I am far in the North. I need to check with the person who is in the house,” Ndhlovu said.
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