Officials treating fire at Chaponda’s office as accident

Officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water development say they are treating the fire that gutted down the office of the minister George Chaponda at Capital Hill in Lilongwe, as an accident.

Eyes up: Police chief Kachama and others watch the progress as fire fighters take contorl.-Photo by Kondwani Magombo, Mana
Minister of Home Affairs and Internal secueity Grace Chiumia being briefed by the police on the fire incident . – Pic. By Kondwani Magombo

Spokesperson for the ministry Halmiton Chimala said people should not make rushed conclusions on the fire.

“As of now we are treating this as an accident until investigators give us a report,” he said.

He said this was not the first time the fire has gutted the offices. The fire gutted the offices of the minister and the principal secretary and some directors when the graft busting body, the Anti Corruption Bureau is investigating Chaponda on suspicious corrupt practices over the procurement of maize from Zambia.

The Inspector General of Police Lexter Kachama, Home Affairs minister Grace Chiumia and secretary to Office of President and Cabinet Lloyd Muhara were among top government officials who rushed to the fire scene at Capital Hill in Lilongwe.

Some members of staff said the fire started from a socket where a plasma TV screen of the minister is connected.

Special assistant tot the  minister Simon Boyce said a messanger who was in the office of the minister’s secretary informed him that the fire started after a bolt of lightning arond 11am..

However, some people said although there was heavy down pour at the time the fire started, there were no lighting.

The police on the scene said it was too early to comment on the matter.

Chimala said Chaponda was safe as he had not been reporting for duties.

Inspector General (IG) of Police, Lexten Kachama, and some senior police officers witnessed the incident throughout.

Police  IG Kachama expressed his concern over the fire.

“This is very saddening considering how much has been damaged in this fire,” Kachama told reporters.

“We are yet to establish the cause of the fire,” he added.

Kachama expressed grateful to Lilongwe City Council, and General Griffin Supuni  Phiri of the Malawi Defence Force for “mobilizing support in time.”

Other cabinet ministers among them, Minister of Civic Education, Culture and Community Development, Patricia Kaliati, Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Grace Chiumia, and other government officials also came to witness the scene.

It is yet to be established how much property has been consumed in the fire and what really caused it.

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Linengwe river
7 years ago

Iam a qualified electrician,there is no such in electrical engineering atleast if the fire started from a Main distribution board of the entire building Coz that’s where the earth leakage cicuirt breaker is, and mostly in such high profile buldings we install what we call lightning diverter, a device that protects the wiring from lightining ,whenever a lighting occur it holds the. power back for just that lightining moment and then brings it back again,it simply works like a fridge guard.

bob
bob
7 years ago

amalawi tikakhala phee tidzifunse tokha kuti kodi ndichipani chiti chidzawine 2019,chanucho kapena changachi,osamangotukwana apa wina aliyense ndisapota wachipani chake kaya chikuchita zosakusangalatsa dzavote chidzawine.

Ngalamayi
Ngalamayi
7 years ago

An accident??? I bet incriminating documents were conveniently destroyed in this ‘accident’!

chamba eti
chamba eti
7 years ago

AMALAWI MUDZAPHUNZILA LITI KUNENA CHILUNGAMO? FOSHOLO ITCHULENI FOSHOLO WOSATI CHISIPUNI CHACHICHIKULU …..IYITU SINGOZI MUNTHUYI ADABA NDALAMA ..PRESIDENT WANJI WONGOYANGANA ZINTHU… If chaponda was suspended first there could have been no fire…chaponda needs to be arrested no MATTER WHAT.. 1 FOR ALSON 2 CORRUPTION 3 LIE OR MISSLEAD.. AMANGIDWE BASI.. Raph kasambara adamangidwa naye alowe

Judge Not
Judge Not
7 years ago
Reply to  chamba eti

What is surprising is that the same civic groups who were rubbishing the commission of inquiry established by the President to investigate the so called “maizegate” are now the same group that’s demanding APM to act on the recommendations of the commission of inquiry. All of a sudden the findings of the commission are now credible. God knows what would have been said if they had reported otherwise. Now the fire has gutted his offices he is guilty as charged. He had all the time in the world to destroy whatever evidence without having to burn down the building. Chaponda… Read more »

Mavi Patako
Mavi Patako
7 years ago

ADMARC is NEXT, Watch OUT.

chimwe
chimwe
7 years ago

eeee anduna a pa Malawi amenewo dressing yakeyo ayayaya kkkkkkkkkkk

chawa
chawa
7 years ago
Reply to  chimwe

eya ayenera kuvala choncho pa za dzidzi mudziona zakunja mmene zimakhalira uyu nde mmalawi timafuna ife osasitha mmeme munthu ulili ngakhale ukalemera … musiyeni mzimayi

Dyomba
7 years ago

kodi mwati mayi ali pafupi ndi apolice ndi minister koma abale

Chilangwe
7 years ago

Did u say the lady in black is a minister.?

Omex70
Omex70
7 years ago

Santana, or whatever you call yourself,you are a brother to the devil. You don’t see evil things happening in the country under your DPP led government? You want Malawians to be praising your DPP for the bad things that are happening in the country? God is watching. He will deliver Malawians from the hands of evil minded people in His own way and time.

tozer tsono
tozer tsono
7 years ago

A lesson to never forget in Malawi investigations; when investigating high crime, aka, corruption, secure stations of evidence, protect the Njaujis holding evidence, and place video cameras in such places to monitor illicit activities. The ACB should have obtained summons to secure the offices or premises holding evidence. This onset of this fire could have been recorded, including who was the last person to visit the office, and for what purpose.
Will ADMARC be next?

kamulonde
kamulonde
7 years ago
Reply to  tozer tsono

I ope so, ADMARC is next. Watch out.

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