Chaponda’s tribal and divisive assertions unacceptable: One Malawi, one nation

One George Chaponda is a funny character. He does not want to take personal responsibility for the irregular Zambia maize procurement. Instead, he is creating collateral damage by suggesting that other DPP government officials are also involved in similar scandals.

Last week, the beleaguered Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development surprised the entire nation when he declared in Parliament that there are also others involved in theft of public funds in scandals such as ‘tractorgate’ and ‘airportgate’, among others.

Earlier, in a Capital Radio interview,  Chaponda also said that his cabinet colleague Goodall Gondwe, who is Minister of Finance, must have also been subjected to investigation under the same ‘maizegate’ scandal. He unashamedly suggested that he was a victim of a north-south fight where “northerners” have ganged up against him because he is a southerner.

First, whether or not Chaponda’s claims of others involved in other scandals have merit, it is clear that these claims confirm that the DPP system is, in fact, in disarray.

Chaponda is informing us that the DPP is a rotten system where theft of public money for self-enrichment of a few individuals is deeply entrenched.

Secondly, it is unfortunate and grossly insulting for Chaponda to play a tribal card and accuse ‘northerners’ of baying for his blood.

The divisive tactics by the minister are simply unacceptable in a democratic Malawi.

Malawians simply can’t accept a scenario where a suspected corrupt minister speaks ill about people based on their tribal background just to advance his individual interests.

A petition dated February 20, 2017 is making rounds on social media in which the purported authors, ‘Concerned DPP Members’ have come out ‘guns blazing’, calling on President Arthur Peter Mutharika to relieve the Minister of Agriculture of his duties.

The petition contains comprehensive arguments in favour of  Chaponda leaving the stage, particularly suggesting that retaining him as cabinet minister in the light of the recommendations by the Commission of Inquiry to probe him, seriously impacts negatively on the country’s leadership integrity. Chaponda, are the authors of the petition ‘northerners?’ It is extremely doubtful.

What Chaponda should realize is that nothing lasts forever. A ministerial position is not a life-long venture but a service to the people, which must come to an end at some point. It is blatantly obscene for our dear minister to impose himself on the people of Malawi when the same people are demanding that he steps aside. In whose interest then shall he be holding his position when a significant portion of the public people simply doesn’t want him?

Malawians have significant fears that Dr. Chaponda may continue to abuse his position to enrich himself through corruption and theft of taxpayers’ money should he continue holding his ministerial position.

Already, investigations are already under way regarding the abuse of the 2016/17 Farm Inputs and Subsidy Program (FISP). The entire program was marred by controversy and implementation was the worst since the inception of the program.

One of the great strengths of a great leader is to know when to leave the leadership stage. Being a long-serving politician and an experienced lawyer, Dr. Chaponda should know better that you can test the people’s patience only to some limit. Malawians are naturally a patient lot. But as history will teach us, they explode when pushed further to the corner.

In the absence of common sense on the part of the minister to read the ‘writing on the wall’, President Peter Mutharika must move quickly to save the integrity of the DPP government and his own leadership record by dismissing the alleged corrupt minister.

Thereafter, President Mutharika will have to make public condemnation of Chaponda’s tribal and divisive assertions. As Head of State, he has a constitutional and moral obligation to unite the people of Malawi without regard to where they come from; their gender; and religious beliefs, among others.

Malawi is currently in economic quagmire and President Mutharika’s government needs to cooperate with our international partners to save the economy from total collapse. One of the international partners’ benchmarks for rendering budgetary and development assistance is a government’s ability to ably manage public finances and genuine fight against abuse of the same and corruption. We have no choice, Mr. President, but to keep officials like George Chaponda away from the corridors of government.

“Look out into the universe and contemplate the glory of God. Observe the stars, millions of them, twinkling in the night sky, all with a message of unity, part of the very nature of God.”- Sai Baba

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winston msowoya
winston msowoya
7 years ago

Fellow Malawians,do not waste your precious time on Chaponda because he is an empty bucket used by Peter for his evil intents.Both of the Muthalikas had come to Malawi to confuse the sleeping Malawians and then divide them and finally rob them of their meagre resources to their advantage.First and foremost,they articulated in dividing the people of Malawi on TRIBAL LINES hence,everything evil follows unto smoothly,for them. As tribalism has become the greatest arsenal to devide the people of Malawi for his own interests,the nation’s political and economic future hinge in the sky and Muthalika has nothing to loose as… Read more »

Hakuna Matat
Hakuna Matat
7 years ago

Balimbanani. Ife a DPP mavoti athu sitimataya pachabe. Amene tidzamvotere tikumdziwa ndipo ndi wa DPP

INNOCENT MAIDA
7 years ago

The malawi government is now a field of corruption I wonder why are we easly forget such kind of behaviour during the election period its like we discover them when they are in government. Chaponda is speaking as if he is out of his senses.How could he say about being southerner when people are talking about Maize gate he could have just accepted the matter and see the way followard.Because if he says there are other gates it can mean that he did all what he did deriberately because others did the same which is bad.Being a leader chosen by… Read more »

KADYAUBWELERE
KADYAUBWELERE
7 years ago

WHETHER YOU WANT IT OR NOT THE MCP WILL NEVER RULE THIS COUNTRY AGAIN UNLESS YOU TELL THIS NATION HOW YOU KILLED THE FOLLOWING MINISTERS
(1)ARON GADAMA
(2)DICK MATENJE
(3)TWAIBU SANGALA
(4)DAVID CHIWANGA

Mweetakhani
Mweetakhani
7 years ago
Reply to  KADYAUBWELERE

Kadyaubwerere, the ones who killed those people you have mentioned are the same who killed Robert Chasowa, Issa Njaunju & the numerous people who get killed mysteriously plus the 20 people killed during demos, & are baying for JB’s blood. They just change colours like chameleons. Just now Zodiac has exposed $58,000 that has been found in your thieving Chaponda’s house. You are so dull & a dunderhead & should be ashamed of yourself for utterring such trush. Ndikuuze Chichewa amati, ‘Aonenji adapha mvuu m’mono.’ & ‘Nthanga kunena adathawitsa likongwe wa apongozi.’ You have a problem of supporting thieves &… Read more »

PETER
PETER
7 years ago

Please my fellow Malawians learn to put comments that make sense. look to where the country is going. Where on earth do you put rats an groundnuts in the same tiny room.Its very shameful to hear people from other countries laugh at us like rotten pumpkins. think like humans created by god. Sad.

nyapapi
nyapapi
7 years ago

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Harawara
Harawara
7 years ago

It now makes sense why this country wont develop when the majority of the pipo think,a ct and talk like Aziz. A man with shallow mind who thrives on regional and tribal lines. Look at the composition of boards. Majority of those appointed are fake, I mean with fake reputation and qualifications.

Collins Azizi
Collins Azizi
7 years ago

social media should not cheat us that there are some DPP concerned members who are vying for Chaponda’s head. In politics it is obvious there can be such people especially those who are looking for the same constituency seat. There are some who competes with him on a higher level. So its not new in politics but at the same time in the DPP it has not reached the level you want it to be. However, we expect much tension in MCP as we go towards elections in 2019. There are many unresolved squabbles which are just waiting for its… Read more »

Mweetakhani
Mweetakhani
7 years ago
Reply to  Collins Azizi

Collings Aziz, God chose and changed Saul, the man who killed christians for preaching the name of Jesus to promote the name of Jesus further. He forgave Peter who denied Jesus three times that he never knew Him when Jesus was arrested. He forgave one of the thieves who were crucified with Jesus for acknowledging his sins & asked Jesus to remember him when he goes into His kingdom as the other thief poured insults on Jesus. Donot play the holier than thou. DPP, the zikwanje party, is the worst party that has ever ruled Malawi. Kunena kwa ndithendithe Nanthambwe… Read more »

Collins Aziz
Collins Aziz
7 years ago

Everyone who follow our politics will agree that Malawians are divided on tribal lines taking into account the way we vote. Every region thinks a candidate from his region should carry the day in any election. It is those who are in majority who always go to the polling station with hope of winning. Those in minority will always approach the voting day with feeble bones especially on presidential race. When you are running after a thief and you realize that you cant catch him you just throw obscene words on him and the thief come relieved because he knows… Read more »

Machiavelli
Machiavelli
7 years ago
Reply to  Collins Aziz

Inu ndinu achitsiru eti. Who knew kuti anguru ngati inu mudzalamulira. Do you think just because mumabalana ngati nkhumba ndekuti muzingolamulira. Amphawi inu, olo mudane nda atumbuka olo quota yanu ili apo they will still be doing fine coz ndiwolimbikira. Sizitsiru. And you have to know that time change, who knew kuti JB angakhale president. Being a minority doesnt mean northerners are powerless or incapable . Kagame comes from the minority Tutsi but he is leading Rwanda. His Rwandan Patriotic Front defeated the majority Hutus in 1994. Osamaganiza ngati nkhuku.

Ngalamayi
Ngalamayi
7 years ago

I agree completely, but with Chaponda ‘out in the cold’, he will have nothing to lose in naming and shaming all those other DPP MPs who’ve also been corrupt. And those same MPs will therefore want to keep him where they can see him, next to them in parliament!

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