Analyst says Malawi 2nd citizen can successfully sue govt for slashing constitutional benefits
A critical thinker and aggressive political and social commentator Humphreys Mvula has said vice president Saulos Chilima can successfully take the government to court for slashing the Constitutional benefits which include the down sizing of the security detail.
Mvula wondered how the government spokesperson Nicholas Dausi could say that what is left to him is what is provided in the law just days after Chilima successfully launched his United Transformation Party (UTM).
“The vice president can successfully challenge this in court. These are not benefits provided by the Democratic Progressive Party but by the government of Malawi through our taxes,” said Mvula.
He warned that Chilima and his UTM might have an easy ride over their political opponents because Malawians would give them a sympathy vote in the 2019 elections, the same sympathy vote that propelled Mutharika to power in 2014.
Mvula said the Mutharika and the DPP are just confused because of the successful launch of UTM on Saturday in Lilongwe attended by thousands upon thousands of people.
In an apparent reference to the ill-treatment faced by Cassim Chilumpha and Joyce Banda as State VPs, Mvula said what other human rights defenders have pointed out that the DPP administration is fond of mistreating Vice-Presidents.
Dausi, however, said the government would now want to strictly follow the law, saying the state resources would be withdrawn if the vice president goes for jobs outside the government, an opinion Mvula laughed off, saying the president and cabinet ministers are the first to abuse state resources and use them for personal or private use.
Under the Presidents (Salaries and Benefits) Act, the Vice-President, among other benefits, is entitled to one personal bodyguard, one head of security guard, six security guards, two chauffeurs, two cooks and personal assistants.
Earlier yesterday, Chief Secretary in the OPC Lloyd Muhara had written all principal secretaries and heads of departments in what was classified as Distribution List ‘A’ under the subject Privileges and Benefits for the Right Honourable Vice-President.
In the communication, Muhara said he was reminding the recipients that “the Right Honourable Vice-President should only be accorded such privileges and benefits as prescribed by law whenever the Vice-President is performing government business”.
Since Chilima announced on June 6 this year that he was leaving DPP, he has been stripped of the portifolio of Minister responsible for Disaster Management Affairs and in-charge of National Public Events.
The President on July 8 also ordered that Chilima should no longer be co-chair of the Malabo Montpeller Forum, an international think tank to which he was appointed in September 2017.
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Tazisiyani!
I am confused, the second citizen was entitled to 8 security personnel; how come that he had 54?
If our CSOs are nonpartisan, they must demand refund of the cost of excess security personnel by the second citizen. A mabungwe mukangokhala chete tikukaikirani.
I wish we can fast forward the days so that May 2019 should be tomorrow.Besides all these we have already decided to vote out this CORRUPT,NEPOTISM,DICTATOR LEADERSHIP etc DPP.I for one i know which party to vote for no matter how you will come up with your robbing campaigns but i am going for a change for the betterment of children and who will be my grandchildren.Tired of foul mouthed JEFFREY and DAUSI and Mutharika at large.
I thought they say they have left him with seven guards which is what the act specifies
Useless DPP administration. By the passing of each day we’re also getting closer to 2019,,, tikumane konko
So the boy still wants to be chewing tax payers money? If he is different from the rest of the politicians who want to be leeching from taxpayers money, why is he still clinging to the vp post? Power hungry young man!
So that he can truly work for Malawians by exposing the rot in government. That is why we elected him
kkkkkkk, we did not elect him to expose the rot in government but to clear the lot in government
There is no issue here. Chilima was using more security than he was entitled. He even didn’t see this as wrong considering his claims he is prudent and wants to drain the swamp.
A pumbwa
news that is imbalance, tell us what constitute the benefits and how it has been abused. i was shocked to hear that over 46 security guards are removed yet the act specify about seven as a priviledge to the vice president. over 46 guards to one person for what ? leaders should lead by example, while spearheading that people should not abuse public resources yet you are actually doint just that mr vice president. shame!
How about your President? How many security guards has he got and how many are prescribed by the constitution? Reason like a normal person. Kuganiza ngati brain ili kumpheto bwanji.
Abuse of resources should not be condoled, from the president to the least public servant. the two wrongs does not make it right, we need to fully change our mindset as Malawians and then Nyasaland will be a perfect place for all of us
Apparently, Chilima has sued in order to get back the 42 police guards. Chilima is just another useless politician.