Malawi aid debate in UK House of Lords

The House of Lords in Britain will debate a Motion on aid to Malawi on Thursday, Nyasa Times learnt in London.

Baroness Northover was appointed to the role of Lead Spokesperson for Department for International Development in the House of Lords
Baroness Northover: Lead Spokesperson for Department for International Development in the House of Lords

Peers will debate the motion to be led by Lord Jack McConnell and Baroness Lindsay Patricia NorthoveR.

McConnell, Scotland’s former first minister,  was named a future British High Commissioner to Malawi but never got the chance to take up the appointment, following Labour’s UK election defeat.

But he said Scotland’s partnership with Malawi – one of the world’s poorest – would be at the heart of his work.

The aid debate is titled: “Economic and social development in Malawi.”

All direct British financial  aid  to Malawi was frozen in 2012  where 40% of the national budget comes from donors, after the so-called “cashgate” scandal.

The UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) went a step further than other donors in suspending sector budget support, which involves money going to a sector-specific government bank account, for example, health or education, but with oversight from donors.

Aid experts warn that continued donor absence could have huge adverse effects on health and education.

So far, the graft-busting body has secured two convictions in the ongoing cashgate  trials.

On Friday, a former accounts assistant in government Victor Sithole, 27, was found guilty of possessing stolen cash.

Early this month, a former tourism official Tresa Namthanga Senzani was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison in connection with the cashgate scandal.

A  former budget director Paul Mphwiyo , his wife and newly appointed Director of Public Officers’ Declarations Christopher Tukula were arrested at weekend in relation to cashgate.

Government has said there will be more arrests.

Meanwhile, Malawi Watch Executive Director Billy Banda told a local newspaper that he is  not satisfied with the speed of some cashgate cases.

He said although there is some independence in the way Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and Judiciary have been handling the cases, the progress is not fairly satisfactory considering the economic damage behind the cases.

“There appears to be some political will if we look at the way government has allowed the ACB and the judiciary to handle the cases independently and the economic empowerment of the ACB. However, we needed to do more considering the impact of Cashgate to our economy.

“Donors withdrew their money resulting into zero-aid budget. We have been strangled economically because of the cashgate scandal and it would be necessary for these cases to be completed as early as possible so that we can concentrate on rebuilding our economy,” Banda said.

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wiston uko
wiston uko
9 years ago

osamalimbana nd ambonya, catch de chambo

Mwana wa kiki
Mwana wa kiki
9 years ago

Mwe Akaya Kafwile. Awandu wapimba indalama mumalokota ngati mtyangala ya ngambo. Kuswigha kangi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ndinulusubilo mulembwike mwesa

thoko
thoko
9 years ago

Catch the big fish please

mai nsato
mai nsato
9 years ago

Donors must wait until all people that had stolen are nabbed and all monies or property confiscated.
I kept on wondering kuti kodi ine ndinabadwa ndi tsoka? kukhalira katapila yekha-yekha mwedzi ndi mwedzi, pomwe ena a kukwera galimoto za lata-lata.

Victor Phiri
Victor Phiri
9 years ago

Stop the Consolidated Fund and separate donor aid from Tax money. Allow donors to oversee usage of aid money. What we need is transparency.

GEORGE PHIRI
GEORGE PHIRI
9 years ago

what this people are doing are evil so government must change his finacial system to avoid cashgate

Taweni
Taweni
9 years ago

Now that Malawi has engaged a new diplomat at their embassy in UK i am not surprised that he has started the ball rolling to extract donor aid especially from her Majesty’s government. The crafty medical doctor’s brief must include none other than the opening of the money floodgates. But the looting by DPP was worse at usd1.0billion which affected country’s fuel and forex. The commodity having been exported to foreign bank accounts. At least the PP regime was more careful as they did not externalise the forex like the DPP. There hasn’t been a shortage of forex and fuel… Read more »

mgebe.mgebe
mgebe.mgebe
9 years ago

good news, for the whole. country. stop talking bad things for. your country, many people. are r suffering. bcouz of. aid freeze. Thanks very. much. if aid. is coming again. pliz malawians don’t. talk shit for. your country, love your country. if that money. comes in its good for. all of us. not govtmrnt only.

Zomba Banda
9 years ago

Enanu mukupanga comment kuti azungu asatipase ndalama kuti tikufufuzeni abale anu ndi amphawi othelatu okui olo panado sangakwanise kugula. ndie a chabale anu akamafa kamba kosowa mankhwala muzipatala muziti Boma likulephela ntchito yake. Fotseki

Vyachalo
Vyachalo
9 years ago

wait for federal government because central and northerners will not benefit from it .Secondly this party DPP are thieves.

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