MCP in ‘Chakwera Hi5’ plagiarism row: Copied from African Development Bank Hi5 initiative

March 26, 2019 James Nthondo -Nyasa Times 115 Comments

In a bid to outshine opponent political parties for colourful campaign initiative, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) had ended up shooting itself in the leg. It has committed a sin of plagiarism.

Chakwera:Hi5
MCP shoots itself in the leg by pragiarising an AfDB Hi5 initiative

It has emerged that the Hi5 initiative the party has been parading as if it were their own brainchild, is in fact an African Development Bank (AfDB) initiative for stepping up development by focusing on five priorities that are crucial for accelerating Africa’s economic transformation.

The AFDB’s “Hi5s” include; Light up and power Africa, Feed Africa, Industrialize Africa, Integrate Africa, and improve the quality of life for the people of Africa.

AFDB President Akinwumi Adesina started the initiative in September 2015 during his inaugural speech.

On the other hand, Chakwera’s MCP Hi-5 is premised on; servant leadership, prospering together, ending corruption, rule of law and national unity. It is said this is the new anthem that has replaced the four cornerstones of loyalty, obedience, unity and discipline.

Chakwera has been riding on the Hi5 mantra as MCP slogan in the campaign for the 2019 general elections.

“If MCP had acknowledged the origin of the concept it could been treated different. But the mere fact that they tried to pass it on as their own is an act of gross dishonesty. And that speaks volumes for the leadership. Not only does it expose a dishonest character but lack of creativity in the MCP leadership,” said a political observer Nyakuchena Ganda in an interview with Nyasa Times.

“It is act of plagiarism. In academic circles, plagiarism amounts to stealing somebody’s work and presenting it as your own. It is a serious crime punishable by, but not limited to; failure on an assignment, grade reduction or course failure, suspension, and possibly dismissal.”

“In some cases in United States of America (USA) it can attract a fine or prison sentence. Many people have ended up serving prison terms because of this,” added Ganda.

“Don’t ask me what we should do with Chakwera. You have the power to vote. The question you should be asking is whether we should vote for a dishonest character or not?” he said.

Plagarism scandals is not new in African political parties. In Nigeria, the  ruling All Progressive’s Congress (APC) led by President Muhammadu Buhari was been accused of plagiarism after its manifesto declared it was dedicated to “keeping America safe and secure”.

The content was later removed and replaced with new wording.

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115 replies on “MCP in ‘Chakwera Hi5’ plagiarism row: Copied from African Development Bank Hi5 initiative”

  1. Stupid article! Nothing more important than looking at election campaign slogans ?
    Look at the party memoranda or candidates, explain them to us the voters instead of bothering us with trivialities !

  2. Do i not hear UTM use the phrase “draining the swamp ” which was Donald Trump’s “slogan” in 2016?

  3. IF THE INITIATIVE IS EFFECTIVE WHY NOT COPYING, COZ FROM WHAT I CAN SEE HI 5 MAY LEAD TO GOOD GOVERNANCE AND DEVELOPMENT IN VARIOUS SECTORS OF OUR BELOVED NATION.

  5. MCP ili busy kutsitsa fundo zodzatukulira Malawi pamene DPP ili busy kutukwana MCP WOOOOOYEEEE

  6. Hi5 has been a mantra for many. There also used to be a social media before facebook was an inthing. Even the African Development Bank Hi5, might have not been theirs. I do not see any sense of plagarism and the academic you have quoted should have been from an unknown institution.

    1. Sour grapes and kicks of a dying horse. UTM says draining the swamp which is a Donald Trump and Republican catch phrase , Rwanda copied Malawi’s vision 2020 did these guys ever acknowledged their source ? Why pick on MCP with its High 5 , I think the the Hi 5 is causing shivers to many parties and is resonating well with the masses hence the jealous voices from various quarters..
      I am beginning to doubt the credentials of this half backed writer he has shown that he has never done any research in his career.Nyasatimes editors always take some time to read articles before you present them for publication this article will dent your reputation

  8. It would have been an issue were the points in Chakwera’s Hi5 the same as those in AfDB’s. They are completely different. The author wants to school us on penalties meted for plagiarism. Rubbish. Be quiet if you’ve nothing better to wright.

    In any case, AfDB is a public institution such that Malawi may have taken part in crafting the Hi5 you are obsessed with

  10. Chakwera Woyeeee. Viva MCP

    Muthalika and Chilima tinakuvoterani 2014. Pano ndi Chakwera basi.

  11. hahahaha kusowa zolemba, sizikugwirizana oro pang’ono, the ADBs Hi5 and MCPs Hi5, look at what you have written yourself, I think you just write without reading back kkkkkkkkk

  12. Trivia,.if it is going to work for the good of the country,Chakwera can adopt it,after all you say it was formulated for Africa and Malawi is in Africa.

  13. The writer has never took operations management in college. What a waste of time writing stupid article like this? Mwayikanika kuyimaka MCP ulendo uno.

  15. The hi5 initials the MCP uses have different words and meaning from the hi5 of African Development Bank initiative .
    This therefore cannot be and it’s not plagiarism at all.
    The reporter is ignorant of plagiarism which he has failed to define.
    Please nyasatimes employ only those journalists that are knowlegeable and not those that are an embarrassment to the world of journalism.

    1. I wouldn’t be surprised with the education credentials of the reporter. I doubt he has ever done research in his/her educational journey. These are simple things to know.

  16. Chakwera ndi we uve uyu……dzana plagiarism dzana litali adadya chachikhumi kutchalitchi dzulo dzuloli, wakwera Joisi.

  17. You are a journalist and you don’t know meaning ya plagiarism? Shame on you, go back to school, and a nyasatimes muchotseni ntchito uyu to save your face

  19. MCP should be ashamed. All Chakwera needed to do to have some level of integrity was to acknowledge he picked Hi5 from African Development Bank. Amafuna kuoneka ochenjera ndi izi apusa nazo.

  20. BRAVO CHAKWERA ….WE SHOULD MOVE ON AND LEARN FROM OTHERS…… IF AD BANK DID IT …WHY SHOULD WE FAIL….

    PLEASE LETS LEARN FROM OTHERS AND MOVE ON….MALAWI NEED DEVELOPMENT..

  21. Its always a pity that some of journalists have narrow horizon of journalistic work.They can not read widely.What this guy has written about Hi5 is clear indication he/she dont’t know what Hi5 is all about.Read about it now on google.

  22. You should start by mentioning that the name of your useless DPP was copied from South Korea. The Bingu five year mid term development strategy populary called MGDS was copied from China. In any case，Nyasa Times should be ashamed to have journalists of a calibre as the author of this empty story. It is not only wasting time of others but also full demonstration of poor education value of the college that trained this so called journalist.

  23. Chakwera wagwa nayo. MCP should be ashamed to have such a leader – pretending to a servant leader when he is a thief. Plagiarism is a serious offence.

  24. Hi-5 is a Hand Gesture….. allegedly started by Someone is America in 1977 .To simplify it a Hand has 5 fingers Umatolinyamula zanjalo mzakoso nakweza lache…Chakwera Atonena za Mfundo Zisano – Msanamira Zina.Hi 5 was Never Coined by Africa Development Bank.Please Our Journalists Try to Do some Research.

  26. Kupusa uku amene mwalemba. Do you know that most of the policies governments use come from the world Bank, IMF, International Labour Organization (ILO), etc. You will see government officers going to conferences to learn. These are turned into policies and laws except kuba like the dpp is doing. The Rio 92 was the source of all the Environmental laws like Pollution Control, Transboundary Movement of. Wastes, Persistent Organic Pollutants which led to banning of ddt. This article is useless. Hi-5 will benefit Malawians and it’s not piracy or plagiarism. Mwalephera.

    1. Well said. Umbulidi wamukulira reporter… does he even know wat plagiarism is? Anyone can say Hi5.. are the components of the Hi5 the same? Do u know that much of the global practices are guided by international standards? Would u call that plagiarism? Kindly check definition of plagiarism in ur nearest dictionary

  27. These political analysts please! You wonder who approved their role. There is no issue here! Even if we another Hi 5 in Mozambique or Zambia it does not matter sir! Leave Malawians alone they have embraced Hi 5. You and your party are free to chose wherever you like…

  28. Ngati ndinudi Othondo,waku ntchisi,mwatichititsa manyazi zedi,koma ngati ndzina lodyela nenani kuti ” NALEKA NSINDZAYAMBIRANSO UNYOZA KONGELESI,NALEKA

  29. Abusa umbava umenewo bwanji?
    U r a PhD holder u must know better on these issues
    Had to trust you pastor

  31. The writer is ignorant of that fact that there’s nothing new under the sun. What is happening has been done before. Development agendas are motivated by previous work including that of African Development Bank. Get some education or take away your myopic thinks and depoliticize your mind. You’ll be able to appreciate the Hi5 as the only agenda that can take Malawi forward. The UTM drama group has no chance of winning and this is a fact.

    1. The writer is a liar. There are so many groupings using Hi5 and palm symbol. There is Hi5 music group, Hi5 Children TV series Programs , Hi5 Social Networking Group in USA, etc. Some of them started long time ago before AfDB used it. This can be googled and verified. The writer is a pathological liar by saying that it was only being used by AfDB.

  34. BRAVO CHAKWERA. AND MCP….WE SHOULD REALLY LEARN FROM OTHERS…….NO TIME FOR EXPERIMENTING WITH PEOPLES LIVES……

    IF AFDB BANK THOUGHT THIS IS THE BEST FOR AFRICA, THEN WHY SHOULD WE WASTE TIME EXPERIMENTING WITH PEOPLES LIVES>>>>>>>?????

    THIS IS ACHIEVABLE AND THIS IS THE BEST…………OSATI ZA AWA AKUTI ANTHU AZIDZADYA NSIMA KATATU PA TSIKU….TIZIKAMBA ZA NSIMA LERO…….ZOONA

    PLEASE KEEP IT UP….

  35. This party lacks creativity. I have never seen anything new in Chakwera. Ndiye atenge boma it will be business as usual. Kaye atenga onse a PP: Khumbo Kachali, Harry Mkandawire, Pastor Maurice Munthali, the list is too long, expect more cashgate should they win. INE AYI

  36. writers of nyasatime you are stupid why posting propaganda thin here. i think you did went to xool or you went but you yieldd nothing.

  38. Who doesn’t know the author of this article is UTM cadet? James Nthondo to hell with your so-called United Transport of Malawi. Go around the world and you will see that it is you who have shot yourself in the foot because many parties including your own UTM copied the slogans. Sorry brother your propaganda won’t work. MCP/PP/FP 2019 bomaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

  40. DPP is a Taiwanaise Party. Check ,check or google . Bingu adopted it from there prior to the escape to China

  41. Akuti Chakwera HI 5 that means ma HI5 alipo else where koma iyi ndi ya HI 5 ya Chakwera. Kodi umbulutuwu bwanji achakulungwa. Usakwi kapena, pangani zanu

    1. The writer ndi bulutu wa munthu

      The Chakwera Super Hi 5 is not the same as AfDB Hi5.

      Even the content is different. I think plagiarism samayitsata

  42. By writing this shows that you are a cadet or wa Hamdan….kapena Ku University sunafikeko ….how many political parties have similar names in this world…..full

  44. I can’t emphasize the importance of attending institutions of higher learning enough!

  46. This is scandalous, they should have acknowledged the AFIDB H5’s agenda initially, you NEVER use anyone’s idea without giving them credit………that’s the problem with honorary degrees😀

  47. Dishonestry of the highest order despite getting lots of inputs from the current crop of civil servants. The can’t really re-invent but rather read from various sources. Of all those claiming to “brains”. But being Malawi people still everything and even other peoples ideas and make them their own and go boasting all over

  48. Ooooh shacks, this is very embarrassing !!! Ngati ndilowe pansi🏃🏿‍♀️🏃🏿‍♀️🏃🏿‍♀️🏃🏿‍♀️

  49. Your comments it’ s not carrying wait.almost every slogan one is playing now its not new in the world someone copied.Even your education someone learnt the same before you hold what you call a profession.talk other things .CHAKWERA WOYEEE.EITHER YOU CALL IT COPYING OR WHATEVE ONE THING WE KNOW IS CHAKWERA HI5.

  51. Oh shit! That is totally unacceptable in the academic world!……very embarrassing ! School ndiyofunika! ……….that is what happens when you buy degrees!

  52. KKKKKKKKKK What is stolen here please elaborate prospering together, Ending corruption, servant leadership, unity and Rule of Law is what AFDB was advocating in Africa in their high 5. If names are similar then it is stolen. KKKKKKK this Nyasa times is bullshitting us stop cheap propagander.Why did Registrar of political parties registered Republican Party that exists in USA. You are talking rubbish leave Malawians alone. Peter Muthalika is packing and going out of Govt on 21 May basing on Chakwera Super Hi-5 mukoza mafinye mumuuze Mchacha kuti Super Hi-5 DPP red card ndikhulupira lero red card mwalandira lero mwa.

  55. Ntchito muli nayo, nthawi yake ndi imeneyi imene anthu mitu siigwila akaona mzawo akutha ndime, bakambani ife tikutha ndime. zikomo!!!

  56. Awaso nsanje yakeyo,,, Nanunso koperani zanu ku DPP yanuyo. If this 5s are for Africa and an African country’s potential Governing party localises the same in a Malawian set-up, you are the only one who might have seen SINS in this. Do not blame MCP for the failure of your party DPP to impress Malawians. Paulendo DPP, chaka chake ndi chino. Congratulations Dr. lazarus for your being innovative…

  59. Mukumva Pheyini muwawidwaaaa mutopaaaa. Him chakwera has stolen nothing from AfDB what AFDB ndizomwe akukamba chakwera zosiyanaaaaa mukawawuze akutumaniwoooo kuti ifeeee tilibe chopepesa munthu mfundo zonse mu Chakwera Hi 5 ndizathuuu

  60. Sadistic people have now started searching for trivial issues against The God Chosen Leader, Dr. Chakwera!! Ooooh!!! my God! The Most High God! Forgive them as they do not know what they are doing and have mercy on them too!!!

  61. Plagiarism laws need to be understood good people. Its very possible and it happens all the time, for people to use same titles but conveying different messages. For example, one can do research on an area where someone else already conducted research, use same title of thesis like the one already done before, but the content of the research being his original work. This isn’t plagiarism at all. In the context of MCP and ADB, it can only qualify as plagiarism if the content of the Hi5 for MCP, is the same as that of ADB. Merely sharing title is no plagiarism at all. Otherwise, there is Hi5 Social networking website, Hi5 Music app, Hi5 for ADB, Chakwera Hi5, Hi5 TV series, Hi5 for greeting (show me a hi5). Just to mention afew.

    1. Umbuli ndiwo wakula akulu. Mavuto kwabasi ma writer enawa. Kusowa zolemba apepera nazotu apa. Ati akufuna kudya monies. Nkhani zake zopoilazi?

  62. lets vote for him in large numbers, others can have even books koma kulephera kuonera mayeso. If the Hi5 he is advocating for are benefitual to the nation we just have to vote for him

  68. There’s no plagiarism here. Hi5 is a common sign. May be the writer has no clue to what exactly constitutes plagiarism. It’s like saying Zambians plagiarized Kwacha from Malawi. No sense. Kwacha is much a common term to Zambia as it is to Malawi. By the way, even cartoons have their version of Hi5 for children. Can we say AFDB plagiarized from a cartoon movie?

  69. Dpp steals from UTM alot of staff they even shamelessly implemented them wrong but they roam about scot free I think we can also pardon MCP for now just dont make it a habit like Ana adadi stealing your alarm solutions for albino with reforming the police these alarms will be useless paja amati stop politicising this while they busy using their day job as a campaign too!!

  70. But do you know what pragarlism mean? Cheap propaganda!

    Pragarism means copying word by word without seeking acknowledging the original author of the work.

    Here, this is different. Dr. Chikaonda for example developed a 10 point economic plan. If someone develops a 10 point plan which is not the same as that of Dr. Chikaonda, but its called a 10 point plan, that’s not pragiarism.

  71. MCP is trying as hard as it can to be relevant but they are a victim of change. When you don’t want to change change will make you change.

  72. “Chakwera a dishonest character?” May be that’s true, but at least point out an honest character among the presidential aspirants especially the leading ones.

  73. Palibepo nkhani apa, anthu tonse timatha kutenga zinthu zomwe ena amapanga ngati zikuoneka zoti zikupeleka chiyembekezo. Chomwe muli nacho mitima mo ndi udani omwe muli nawo pa Chakwera. TNM ndi Airtel amatha kupanga zinthu mutengera wina pamakhala vuto langi?

  74. James Nthondo, in my view, is not worth being called a journalist. May be he is an accomplished cadet for the DPP. He writes a poorly cooked story centering on MCP’s plagiariam sin which he has shamefully failed to prove to a discerning mind like mine. Why do I say so? James Nthondo or whatever name he is called in real life has failed to equate the African Development Bank’s “The High 5″ to ” Chakwera’s Hi5″ in terms of both creativity and substance. James Nthondo has conspicuously goofed to prove that the content and the design of Chakwera’s Hi5 are the same as that of the AfDB. So there is no substance in his story except may be that he has been sent by powers that be to tarnish the good names of MCP as a party and that of Dr Lazarus Chakwera as a Presidential candidate of the MCP for purposes of cheap campaign for James’s paymasters. But James and your masters you have failed in your plot. You cannot sway the mind of the present day Malawian by cheap propaganda. If your party DPP wants to beat MCP in the coming elections, let your party devise a better campaign strategy than cheap smear campaign. You will surely fall!!

  77. Do you even know what plagiarism is. Plagiarism is stealing someones work and presenting it as your own. Stealing a slogan is not plagiarism. It’s called borrowing a concept. The ADB hi 5 and Chakwera Hi 5 are totally different. Malawi can have a Malawi Growth Strategy based on what another country had. But if the content are different its not plagiarism. Are the High 5’s the same in content? Are they the same in terminology. Does ADB have Servant leadership in all that.
    This happens everywhere as long as you dont copy word for word. Go look up plagiarism before making stupid remarks.
    Chikaonda had a 10 point plan. Was that plagiarism as well. Plagiarism is academic dishonesty. If Bata Bullets decides to call themselves The Red Devils its not plagiarism. You are the one who is ignorant because the ADB High 5 was unveiled at an annual conference so those in the know, know its origins. It seems you have just come across this. Go to AFDB offices in Lilongwe you will see its there. There is an application on their website for it.

  78. “kkkkk “keeping America first” was the worse of all plagiarisms.” But all in all, this just shows that our leaders do not write things which come from their conscious when they are writing manifestos. This is why they easily divert from the course the moment they are voted into power

  81. So MCP is daft that it can not create its own image. Even the manifesto contains elements copied from SKC which he has been preaching of giving 30 day amnesty to all people to are believed to have stolen from government coffers. What do expect from Abusa and the big cattle thief from lower shire. This is exactly what the current first lady from USA did by copying a speech from Michelle Oboma. It was an issues in US. MCP dead and buried.

  83. Mbuli ya Political Analyst. Google DPP as a party. And you have said it yourself that the meaning is different. In US , Hi5 means something else.
    DPP Analyst not just political analyst.

  84. Chakwera and team must come in the open to explain the origin of hi5 and if it is true he copied from African Development Bank, he must apologise to both AfDB and Malawians and come up with something new. The man fakes everything including accent. Kamuzu was original, he created four cornerstones and was unbeatable in many ways.

  87. Senseless rubbish. How could one even have the courage to write such nosense.
    Can someone please pinpoint which work MCP has stolen??????

  88. Is hi 5 a brand name. Who cares who started it. You are too busy looking for faults in MCP because you are scared. Who started chala chimodzi kapena manja ogwirana. Go find out and tell us. But we wont care. DPP and UDF are using those symbols and we do not care.

  90. I dont even understand what this stupid bastard is trying to tell us here, ngati mwasowa zolemba why cant you just go kumudzi mukathandize kukolola nandolo amako bwanji

  91. Mmh ofcourse am UTM supporter but I see jealousy in the writing by the Author.

    No body owns Hi5 , if I can ask you, is the guy from AfDB registers it as his own brand?
    Even if he registers it, still there is much difference btwn Hi5 in Chakwera and Hi5 in AfDB as yourself has already put it

    Even me when I had my first Child in 2007 when I was in Cape Town by then and my son was 2years old and I used to play with him while raising my 5 fingers and saying to him “High 5 boy”
    So my question is, does your guy from AfDB copied from me???? Bcoz u said he came up with the idea in 2015 while me I started using it in 2007.

    The answer is big noo!!! So learn to be objective and not day dreaming my brother.

  95. You DPP sympathiser Don’t Confuse people with your childish Thinking, High Five Chakwera motto 2019 May Boma…..wooooo

  98. Chakwera wayaluka. UTM woyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

  99. Mr Writer whats your point. In my opinion this story is pointless. The fact remain that he has summarized his manifesto into five points.

  100. This is completely misplaced. AfDB is Hi5s while MCP’s is Chakwera’s Super Hi 5 or simply Super Hi5 and the pillars are completely different. There is absolutely no issue here.

    1. MCP has stolen the Hi5 slogan – what Chakwera has done is to add super to disguise by prefixing it with super.

  102. So what exactly did the MCP plagiarize?
    Clearly ADFB must then have plagiarized Hi-Five from the tyre company?

  103. Kuwonesatu umbuli inu atolankhani aganyu. There are many organisations who use hi5 intitiatives. and all of them focusing on different things. You think we are all dull.

  105. Kusowa accusation uku! Find another one even though people have already made a decision to vote for Mcp!

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