Chilima cool on HardTalk as BBC quizzes him over meeting Joyce Banda ‘dented by corruption scandal’
Malawi’s Vice-President and president of the United Transformation Movement (UTM), Saulos Chilima faced a number of probing questions from journalist Zeinab Badawi on BBC HardTalk but kept his cool and one of them was why he met former president Joyce Banda whose reputation has been dented by a corruption scandal, known as Cashgate, which has led donors to cut aid.
Chilima met Banda in Zomba, September this year, amid speculation that the two were working on a possible political working relationship between United Transformation Movement (UTM) and People’s Party (PP).
The Vice President said Banda shares a common vision with UTM,especially on a pledge to create one million jobs within the first 12 months in office if elected in the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections.
But Badawi asked Chilima why associating with Banda whose record she said is poor on corruption especially to do with Cashgate, the plunder of public resources at Capital Hill, exposed under her watch in 2013.
Banda came to power in 2012 after the sudden death of President Bingu wa Mutharika.
“Why meeting her and say there is common vision?” asked the BBC journalist during the HardTalk interview aired on Friday.
“You applaud a president who presided over great corruption,” she further quizzed.
But Chilima said meeting a former president is not an issue and that she has a role to play, especially that she is not charged of any offence and not even a convict.
He added: “Having a common vision does not necessary mean you will do things the same way.”
Banda has maintained that the Cashgate issue has been repeatedly spoken about and that she has made it clear that she played no role; hence, cannot say much.
So far there has been no government agency that has tried to question her in relation to the alleged cases.
Banda said that prior to Cashgate, the K577 billion theft happened between 2009 and 2012 when former president the late Bingu Wa Mutharika was in charge, alleging that there must be a stubborn link between the K577 billion scam and Cashgate.
K577 billion audit query was trimmed to K236 billion after some companies were cleared of no wrong doing by authorities.
Nyasa Times understand that the ACB is ready now to take the rest of the suspected companies to court.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Tifuniranji Umboni wina…JB and SKC are in one camp….atolankhani pa Malawi adikira ati anene kaye okha…….hahahaha.anzanu alumikiza kale dotted lines……
The other conclusion made was that Chilima is NOT there to fight corruption…He is supporting JB a suspect of such….He is a accomplice….
He did better because no at any point talked of his master that he has also received 5cars from karim
And he says he champions the fight against corruption in the construction industry? My fooot! Chilima is a big liar. When and where did he do this? Kuyendera unfinished water dyke in Chikwawa ndiye kuti wamenyana ndi corruption?
Iwe baby chilima waonjeza bodza.
Hard Talk Chichewa chake “Kunena Kunena”. Akulu Chifukwa chani motofuna u President? Aaa Nyengo zimasintha komanso ndi Ufulu wanga.Really?Akulu mutochokera Ku Malawi kaziko kakang ono? Kuti zii i.Osanenako ma facts Amalawi bwanji I.e. most beautiful lake with species of fish that are not found anywhere else in the world etc kuzichekenera pamene Paja.Haa Khaya.
chilima was absolutery right how he represented himself there is no one ngale iweyo ungapite kwa DC and say kuno kuli corruption only the president can do it, so we lead by example
Kuzolowera kugula ma journo a pa Malawi.here u have been exposed..abale mkuluyo sanakhwime..exposed incompetence..Malawi is too big for him….zein why??????
Baby
SKC did very well listening to the audio clip. As for corruption indeed JB had demonstrated a serious stance to fight corruption by the prosecuting and successfully convicting of culprits.
On the contrary DPP actually protects perpetrators of corruption. For more than 5 yrs DPP has not only failed to account for K577 billions cashgate, it has miserably failed to arrest any single individual. In fact companies belonging to DPP STEALERS, including cabinet ministers have been exonerated. The figure has been manipulated to K236 billion, but that’s where it stops.
What about Chilima being surrounded by corrupt people?
OK fine if ACB is ready now start with Mpoola and his friends
Because these people thinks that are above the law…….
That’s what you can get from this article? It does not talk about that at all .
Koma chizungu chalembedwa mu nkhani you mwamvetsa bwino bwino ???
Mwakumana nazo. Timatama ta pa Nyasaland kuti mbii! Kkkkkkkk
BBC is not Times my Brother it is objective
Zeinab why?
He is still learning
Bring on Zainab next time SKC will do better.
Media Training required
Opportunity to expose corruption missed.
Reflect next time you will do better.
We know you have the heart for Malawi.
You are doing well, keep going. Dont get discouraged. Every criticism should be taken seriously and learn .
God bless you.
Kupembedza mbwelera…kkkkkkkkk
He is a Liar, telling mzungu that there is nobody even the opposition agrees that there is corruption in Malawi. Is he true? Chakwera has been talking about corruption for over 4 yrs now both in parliament and outside it and he even named Muthalika prince of thieves. Chilima is part of the corrupt government , so he should stop kulubwalubwa.
For sure bro, remind them the wording PRINCE OF THIEVES IN PARLIAMENT
Mwina chizungu chakuvutani takamvetsereninso kachikena. Sananene zomwe mwalemba apazi. He said nobody is refuting that there is corruption. So sizikugwirizana ndi zomwe mwalemba pamwambapo
Osagulitsa Ufumu ndi mphodza, Roy Kachale -Banda can not be your VP under any circumstance if that is what you were talking about with CASHGATER!!
No room for JB and her son in UTM
I hope y0u didn’t talk about alliance with this good for nothing woman and her son who wants to be the VP so bad!!!
I am not a supporter of Chilima but if you watch Hard talk is it a show which is deliberately designed to be unyielding and antagonistic. Chilima did well. Everyone struggles on that show. But, the stupidity of a VP refusing to resign and then going to white people to tell on his govt as if they are our gods must end. This is bullshit. Chakwera and Mutharika also have the same “yes bwana” mentality. Pathetic.
I agree with you, 100%.
Chilima should have known better than book a slot on Hard Talk. His handlers may be over selling him.
That said, i agree that we should do away with this nonsense of running to our colonial masters to be validated, and whenever, we run into problems at home. I would have expected, Chilima, being a born-free, not to subject himself to the colonial masters.
Alas, none of our young people are revolutionaries in the mold of Julius Mapema. Sad, also, that none of our elder leaders, APM and Chakwera, included, can fit in the shoes of a Magufuli, or a Kagame :(. They are all devoid of a revolutionary spirit.
Will Malawi, ever see the likes of Chilembwe, and Yatuta Chisiza?
This crop of leaders, Chilima, included, will not take this Country, anywhere.
Corection @ oMachemba:
First line should read “Good job, no holds barred by Ms Badawi.”
Same vision as a CASHGATER????
WHERE IS THE FORENSIC AUDIT REPORT BY BAKER TILLY UP
TO NOW ?
THESE FIELD MARSHALS ARE TAKING MALAWIANS FOR FOOLS !!
WOKUBA YOMWEYO SYNDROME IS KILLING MOTHER MALAWI !!
Why should Malawi be associated with countries that enslaved our people through colonialism and slavery.? Why could Britain have a relationship with Germany when they slaughtered each other during the first world war? Why should Britain have a relationship with South Africa when it supported Apartheid. These questions should show that the BBC reporter just wanted to discredit JB when their is no proof that she did anything wrong.
Smart and strategic politician, i like the way he also refrained from directly attacking APM as a person. Chilima knows what to say and where as well as for what? Osamangolubwalubwa!
Wrong. He should have used the interview, and any other opportunity that he has, or might have, to attack APM. That is, if he really wants to unseat APM in 2019.
My guess is that he, Chilima, has nothing to attack APM on. He has no dirt on APM. He has no philosophical, or political differences with APM. Chilima respects, and worships APM for having given him the opportunity to serve as a Vice President. Chilima is just a disgruntled 45-year old man, who thought the presidency would be given to him, on a silver platter.