A communication by the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) has ordered all councils to transfer back about K17.2 billion they received earlier this month for the Covid-19 response.

According to the document, the above follows resolutions made by the Presidential Task Force on Covid-19, during a meeting held on February 23 2021 to discuss the utilisation of the funds. The meeting concluded that all clusters and councils must stop spending the allocated resources with immediate effect, with exception for the ministries of Health and Education.

 During his seventh national address on Covid, President Lazarus Chakwera projected that it would take a month for independent auditors to finalise their work on assessing the distribution and usage of covid funds. This follows after Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC) Zanga-Zanga Chikhosi confirmed that controlling officers failed to provide expenditure reports to the Presidential Taskforce. 16 officials from Dodma that were arrested recently for allegedly misusing part of the K6.2 billion meant for Covid, have been denied bail, as the court waits to make a decision next week.