Rise of HTD Limited: Malawi ruling parties best ‘well-wishers’

Motor vehicle dealers HTD Limited continue to rise in their business endeavours in Malawi with the company being reputed as the best “well-wishers” of every ruling party.

Before Peter Mutharika  government, HTD danced in glory with the Joyce Banda's PP government as good "well-wishers" as seen in this file photo
Before Peter Mutharika government, HTD danced in glory with the Joyce Banda’s PP government as good “well-wishers” as seen in this file photo
New favours: HTD donating the vehicle to First Lady
New favours: HTD donating the vehicle to First Lady
HTD boss (right) with President Mutharika at the launch of Abdul Majid Motor City
HTD boss (right) with President Mutharika at the launch of Abdul Majid Motor City

HTD Limited is a private local Limited Liability Company incorporated in Malawi in 1993 .

The company has been making political donations to the former president late Bingu wa Mutharika regime and went to be key “well-wishers” of the Joyce Banda administration bankrolling the People’s Party and continues their “generosity” in support of  the current Peter Mutharika government. They have recently donated  a vehicle to First Lady Gertrude Mutharika’s Beautify Malawi Trust.

They failed to do business with  founding president Kamuzu Banda who chased them but we’re given lease of business life during Bakili Muluzi presidency.

They are also new Land Rover franchise dealer  for Malawi a reliable brand which is essential for the transport sector especially in the rural areas.

“HTD knows where bread is buttered. During the Joyce Banda reign, they gave her a KIA pickup as a donation and what followed was government buying KIA vehicles for some of its senior officials. They have donated to First Lady Mutharika and expect more government depuartment to buy from HTD.  Toyota made a donation of  an ambulance to ministry of health, why can’t HTD emulate that example? Corruption at its best,” noted one commenting on Nyasa Times article.

The distributors of Kia motors in Malawi were among the companies under  probe by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), with the help of the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM), as Treasury paid out a sum of money estimated at K600 million (about $1.5m.)

Meanwhile, law enforcing agency fear them because of their connection to the power that be and they enjoy “untroubled” status.

In an article which was posted on Nyasa Times, Ahmed Dassu, the UK based democracy campaigner and a businessman of some substance said: “The K600 million is just the surface. At the outset let me say that 99 per cent of the Asians in Malawi are law abiding, but that it is less than 10 individuals among them, who  are responsible for holding Malawi’s hard fought democracy, hostage to their corruption and bribery.

“The same individuals are to be held accountable for the $150 million or more worth of assets that  Bingu wa Mutharika corruptly accumulated.”

He said  Asians who continue to receive major government contracts know which hands to grease “in the process banking their ill gotten money or owning properties and businesses in Johannesburg, Dubai, London, even as far as Australia and Canada. And these stolen billions are lost to Malawi’s economy forever to serve to develop other countries.”

Dassu said these business people and the others find “ready hands” to collect their bribes and facilitate their corrupt practices.

“Yes there are too indigenous Malawians who too looted the country’s Treasury. But the Asians have had the lion’s share of the looting. They can give political donations from corruptly acquired money  and bring into power anybody they want for now Malawi’s democracy is prisoner to which politicians or political party has the most money to fund its campaign.”

But President Peter Mutharika commended  the Abdul Majid Aboobakar family which owns HTD for showing a sense of patriotism when he opened Abdul Majid Motor City at at Ginnery Corner in the commercial capital Blantyre .

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Fathi Alshab
9 years ago

surely gead of stste vring at a showroom cekemony us cgesp..galimoti zooangidwa jeina kunrne anthu akugwira ntchito… kueanyengrreka na Vip tinatrabspirt slliesnce abd brown envrlops ndiye poti sakary xikuchedwa ku golandurs vsdi…mpaja nado osaeobs cgajsrrs chifukwa mtima uli spo chewye chingagee na adabwa kuti beam yomery yadxuludxuloyi…
koms ndiye xilipo tisingsira isati kusiona konkha ayi…resl shit! oops!

Mwenye
Mwenye
9 years ago

Do you see HTD and Asians as the most corrupt in Malawi now? Why say Asians are corrupt most corrupt? Who among the people who were stealing our money at Capital Hill is Asian? Lets discuss real issues like getting our lake back and the ailing economy which is failing to recover and not pointing fingers at each other. May Allah have mercy with all who make unreasonable accusations.

abiti
abiti
9 years ago

i knw these guys they are very corrupt indeed, you buy from them, envelopes will follow the whole line of management. so corrupt amwenyes

Kika Kanawe
Kika Kanawe
9 years ago

Asians and politicians are dogs and foxes with rabies!Shame on them.

Mwenye
Mwenye
9 years ago

Dziko ndi wanu ndalama ndi wathu… If. No i Asians the. No employment no development…. Why always Asians..

Matako
Matako
9 years ago

The fish rots from the head down. It is a well known fact that HTD organization has been greasing politicians palms and getting lucrative government contracts in return. Their vehicles are over priced deliberately so they can turn around and contribute the excess back to their whore masters in the name of good-will or well-wishers Concerned citizens should not condone such behaviour. This is what we should cut off the cancer at the chuff. These are the businesses that needs to go up on fire due to corruption. The president and his cronies are sanctioning corruption in this country. I… Read more »

hahahah
hahahah
9 years ago

DONATING A CAR….inu ndi ine tikalandira donation ndi mabulangete….eeeeee dziko lokondera

Kenkkk
Kenkkk
9 years ago

ACB, Mra and dpp govt open your deliberately closed eyes and stop being corrupted by these Asians. If they are taxed properly, we could solve over 50% of our forex problems and significantly help our budgets or some national projects. So please start investigating the Asian cashgate which is more massive than our own cashgates. Be serious and punish these tax cheaters and thieves of forex!! They drain the country!! Stop the so called well wishers as the dpp govt is fond of calling these Asians thieves who corrupt them with money!!! And fund their party or any govt of… Read more »

chingolopiyo
chingolopiyo
9 years ago

The News reporter, just to inform you that HTD was there during Kamuzu era. HTD was at Ginnery Corner, opposite Universal Industries. It was run by the Halls Holdings and HTD was Halls Truck Division where trucks were sold like Hino. HTD has changed its name after Halls Holdings sold it out.

Abambo
Abambo
9 years ago

This started with a Chair. Government departments bought alot of KIA and Iveco trucks from these guys and in turn UDF received KIA Preggio minibuses.
HTD gives raw deal to its customers it terms or servicing the vehicles. They are failing to offer backup services for Iveco and KIA trucks. Whenever a truck is in the garage it stays for weeks waiting for a sparepart to be imported from South africa (even air cleaners)

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