Malawi President, opposition leader defy CSO’s on K4bn funds
At the expiry of a seven-day ultimatum given by some civil society organisation over the distribution of the contentious K4 billion to members of Parliament (MPs), President Peter Mutharika and leader of opposition in Parliament Lazarus Chakwera have rebuffed the activists.
The CSOs leaders, who include Youth and Society (YAS), Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) and Centre for Development of People (Cedep), demanded President Mutharika to fire Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe and Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Kondwani Nankhumwa.
Mutharika has not sacked the two ministers and according to Presidential spokesman, Mgeme Kalilani, the CSOs are misrepresenting facts on the matter, to the extent of dragging the President into the issue.
According to Kalilani, the two ministers did not do anything warranting to be fired as all procedures on the matter were duly followed.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vice-president (Central Region) Dr Hetherwick Ntaba DENIED that the funding was given to lawmakers for voting against electoral reform bill.
“We in the DPP refute that the money was for political corruption. The claim is unfounded and malicious,” said Ntaba.
He wondered why the leader of opposition himself had accepted to receive the money for his constituency if he indeed knew it was
Chakwera was asked by CSOs to apologise for being “hypocritical” on the issue but there was inaction from the opposition leader.
At first, the money was reportedly earmarked for only 86 constituencies belonging to legislators on the government side and those supporting the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), with each constituency being allocated about K40 million.
But legislators agreed to share the money to all 193 constituencies.
Later opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP0 led by Chakwera made a change of heart, saying they did not want to be party to the funds embroiled un “dishonesty and thievery.”
MCP deputy secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka, said Chakwera will not apologise because in Parliament, “he spoke denouncing it to arouse public anger.”
CSO leader Gift Trapence, Timothy Mtambo, Charles Kajoloweka said they were disappointed with the inaction on their ultimatum.
Mtambo said they want the funds withdrawn.
On the lack of action from President Mutharika and opposition leader Chakwera, the CSOs said they will meet to strategise on the next course of Acton.
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CSO next course which probably could have been ACTION #1 is to seek a COURT ORDER to restrain government from disbursing this I’ll gotten money. A similar course of action is to seek JUDICIAL REVIEW for way forward on this issue. Let the nation hear the reasoning of the court concerning this matter. Hopefully, the court of law will reverse the k4 billion transaction as it is so apparent that MPs together with the financial minister connived to abuse parliamentary procedures and legalize theft of tax payers’ money.
IN COURTS WE TRUST !!!!!!
Separation of government powers is also compromised. It seems the legislature, judiciary and executive are all working in tandem. There are no checks and balances as the constitution intended. Even if the CSO takes this matter to court they won’t win it or even if they do, either DPP or the government will challenge it. The case will be on the roll for 3 years and by that time the government would have had induced another bigger scandal.
CSOs are missing the point. The culprits are Goodal and Nakhumwa and they need to apologize to the nation. What apology do we need from Chkwera anthunu chonde? It seems you just want to divert people’s attention from the real matter. One DPP supporter suggested at the CSO meeting that the leader of opposition should also apologize… arguing APM is not alone. All without knowing agreed with the miopic point…. that’s why malawi is the least happiest county in the world.
This is true Financial Democracy at its Pick. I am watching
Inu ma CSOs mwayambanso kumuwukira Chakwera? Mnzanu apumila kuti? Mukuona kuti chipani chawawanyika inunso mukuika chipsinjo china pa iye.
Bwanji abwana anuwo simukuwavera chisoni, zitani poti nanga oti ochotse ma minister? kodi Chakwera anakuputa chani? mwava kodi kuti dziko lathu lino anhtu odaleka usangalala? inu muti bwaaaaa? za ziiiii!! kwanuko zubwera ndipo mudzachita kutuluka magazi mkamwa mopanda manomo ndikudziluma. hahahahahahahaha!!
KKKKKKK EVANGELIST DAZA osachita manyazi bwanji tikuonera chaka chamawa.
The old people Pitala, Goodall or Badall and Ntaba take Malawians for a ride. We have hospitals that have no drugs and we have public schools that are performing poorly if the selection to Chancol is to go by but yet these old gurus are busy wasting money to appease their MPs. How good schools can K4 billion build? How many dilapidatd schools can be renovated from this. The electricity outages are back and yet these old men do not care. Is it because Pitala and Goodall and others have children living outside Malawi and in America? My plea to… Read more »
Malawians must be the sleepiest people in the world. Politicians are stealing from our money right from our pockets and running the country to the ground, with impunity and yet we (citizens) are clapping our hands. Malawi is now becoming a laughing stock of the world even by our neighbours.
I wonder! Malawi is just very sick sick sick!
These two they are thieves they no one who can protect the Malawian money chakwera has shown hungry is on Malawian tax he has no character to protect Malawian from poverty he also a cash gater as his neba is doing we are changing 2019 DEPECO boma Chris Daza help Malawians from these thieves we need some one who can protect the Malawian money.
Ordinary Malawians need to take responsibility for creating the situation we find ourselves in. The unscrupulous and corrupt leaders didn’t impose themselves to the throne; it is us ordinary Malawians who put them there. Fortunately we can put in who we want as our leader. Thats whats called democracy. We shouldn’t allow these corrupt leaders to urinate and pee all over us as if we are not humans.
English is our official language indeed. Hahahahah
Please give Chakwera a chance, he is surrounded by thugs, we blew it with Joyce Banda let us not blow it again with him. People in power take advantage of high levels of iliteracy as well as high level of confusion. They thrive on ignorance and lack of understanding from the electorate.