Malawi govt still tight lipped on how many on UN trip, cost

Foreign Affairs minister Francis Katsaira says the government has rejected many applications for the UN trip following tough control measures the government has put in place this year to avoid a repeat of last year when a staggering 116 people went on the trip.

Kasaila: Number of people on trip not disclosed
Kasaila: Number of people on trip not disclosed

Katsaira said many people, who were irrelevant to the trip, were applying for visas to go to the United States of America for the UN trip.

“We detected them earlier because of the tough measures we have put in place. We instructed the US embassy to inform us of anyone applying to go to the US for the UN trip and the president instructed all cabinet ministers to tell him of any ministry official going on the trip,” he said.

Katsaira however refused to say how many are on the trip this year and the cost of the whole trip, saying the government is working on that.

Mutharika leaves for the US for the UN meeting on Thursday.

“Let me assure Malawians that very few will this year be on the trip” said Katsaira who admitted the government made a terrible mistake last year and has learnt a lesson out of the mess.

Former Foreign Affairs minister George Chaponda lied last year whilst in the US that the government had taken 20 people only to be contradicted by Mutharika who conceded over 100 people were on the trip.

Chaponda never apologised and was never fired as he is one of the mist trusted innercircles of Mutharika.

He is now minister of Agriculture and vice president of the party and groomed to takeover from Muthasrika when his two five year presidential term of office expires in 2024 although he is ageing now.

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santana
santana
7 years ago

Mr reporter, is this issue about Chaponda or UN trip? Why are you always having BP with Chaponda? If you study DPP well you will agree with me that it has more than 10 presidential candidates which are fit for the elections. Mwayamba kale kunjenjemera ndi candidate wa 2024?

che
che
7 years ago

the UN trip is just a money making scheme.last year we were told that he is going to attract investors to come to malawi.this year we are being told the same story.which prudent investor will be interested to invested in a country without water and electricity?it could have been better to stay at home and use the money to buy panado for our clinics.if we are to investigate how many investors came as a result of previous UN trip,i guess the answer will be non.kamuzu banda was always holed at sanjika,he never travel for these meetings yet investors were coming.this… Read more »

Sindikanazikwanitsa
Sindikanazikwanitsa
7 years ago

…the minister had to lie because all that entourage was part of the planning, appeasing every Jim and Jack towards the presidential ambitions. Used state companies to release PSF to cushion the plan. In the grand scheming of things, Ralph was to be fed to the crocodiles from the ACB membership of the network using the ‘building probe’, then with statements such as ‘directive from above’ the man who released the money last year was to be catapulted, basitu PSF maliro. Mafia tactics sinasiye malo pa Malawi.

Silly Malawi
Silly Malawi
7 years ago

You told the nation that the current delegation to the UN is reasonable, and if you really believe so, why not mention the numbers for the public to judge? By not disclosing the number, Mr Minister, you are not being transparent and accountable to the people you serve. Mr Minister, this is how you fail to inspire the nation. Shame on you cashgaters, because very soon the nation will realise that the number of UN delegates from Malawi is not as small as you want us to believe. DPP and its leadership are a bunch of crooks on a mission… Read more »

Chidza Chiona
Chidza Chiona
7 years ago

Anthu inu a DPP bodza kodi munachita kubadwa nalo? Mwauza mtundu wa Malawi kuti Mutharika akakumana ndi Magufuli pa nkhani ya nyanja. Magufuli sakupita ku msokhano ku America. How can the whole Government machinery not know this? Or was this justification to go there when we cannot afford to? Muzalangidwa kwambiri asaakhwiiii inu

Kambewa chisale
7 years ago
Reply to  Chidza Chiona

A MAlawi during the campaign I told you that don’t vote for mtchona because you will cry Koto Koto but unfortunately we voted for this monthu. We also allowed DPP to rid the election. Mark my words they will rig again this time again. We will be told to eat mbewa ndi zitetete. Koma iwo will continue to loot .

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