CHRR, Cedep denounce abuse of resources, DPP’s Wa Jeffrey ‘shameless’ arrogance and rudeness

Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) and Centre for the Development of People (Cedep) have condemned irrational abuse of resources from by the governing Democratic Progress Party (DPP) from  State enterprises  as well as the shameless executive arrogance from the  DPP secretary general (SG) Greselder wa Jeffrey.

DPP has been soliciting donations from government agencies  in a fund-raising drive branded ‘Blue Night’ , most of the parastatals  are financially struggling.

In a statement, the two human rights bodies said the mobilization of finances from government agencies most of whom are financially struggling was not only unfortunate but also “very shameful”.

“This abuse of resources will not be tolerated. We condemn in no uncertain terms any misuse or abuse of state resources for political gain,” said the statement in part.

The organizations said at a time the country is going through a litany of problems bordering on lack of financial resources and a turbulent economy, it would therefore have been expected that the government should exercise fiscal discipline and priotise on spending on issues of national importance such as purchasing drugs and medical equipment, learning materials and of course addressing the industrial strikes that have become the norm and not the deviation in recent times due to low salaries of many public servants.

“To our surprise, the DPP led government has priotised raising funds for the party over the welfare of many poor Malawians who voted it into power. This is very antithetical to the ideals of democracy and good governance that this country voted for in 1994,” reads the statement jointly signed by Cedep executive director Gift Trapence and his CHRR counterpart Timothy Mtambo.

On July 29 2019, DPP held a fundraising dinner and dance at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe where Blantyre City Council (BCC), Mzuzu City Council (MCC) and Lilongwe Water Board (LWB), among others, made financial contributions totaling K13.5 million.

“This to us means the DPP led government takes Malawians far too much for granted and does not consider their plight. We as civil society organizations are deeply concerned with this style of Machiavellian politics in which what matters to the ruling party is the end and not the means of acquiring financial resources for party functions,” the statement further reads.

Malawi Law Society and civil society organizations accused the DPP of committing one of the worst forms of misuse and abuse of public funds.

But DPP secretary general Wa Jeffrey rubbished the statements by MLS and other civil society organisations (CSOs) as “zachamba [nonsense]” and a waste of time.

CHRR and CEDEP have branded Wa Jeffrey comments as  “executive arrogance of the highest order.”

The organisations said theyexpect people appointed into such senior party positions to have the sophistication of aura and decorum.

“The DPP party secretary general seems to be too drunk on power and takes anybody as useless. She thinks she can make careless statements insulting everybody willy-nilly,” reads the statement.

The rights campaigners are demanding for the refund of the money to the “donor parastatals” and be used for development projects.

The organizations  said DPP has both a legal and moral duty not to accept the donations from the parastatals and actually pay back the funds.

“Party events should be completely separated from government functions. Infact this is what Professor Mutharika promised during his campaign,” reads the statement.

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