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.

Zainab Badawi and Malawi VP Chilima on BBC after Hard Talk

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 :

Sharing is caring!

Follow us in Twitter
31 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Pumbwa Mw
Pumbwa Mw
5 years ago

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….

Kumzy
Kumzy
5 years ago

He did better because no at any point talked of his master that he has also received 5cars from karim

Manyaka
5 years ago

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.

Nalingula
Nalingula
5 years ago

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.

zex
zex
5 years ago

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

chikoti
chikoti
5 years ago

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??????

Pumbwa Mwana
Pumbwa Mwana
5 years ago
Reply to  chikoti

Baby

Chilungamo
Chilungamo
5 years ago

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.

FOTSEKI
FOTSEKI
5 years ago
Reply to  Chilungamo

What about Chilima being surrounded by corrupt people?

Abe
Abe
5 years ago

OK fine if ACB is ready now start with Mpoola and his friends
Because these people thinks that are above the law…….

Kaguta
Kaguta
5 years ago
Reply to  Abe

That’s what you can get from this article? It does not talk about that at all .

Akubatoto
Akubatoto
5 years ago
Reply to  Abe

Koma chizungu chalembedwa mu nkhani you mwamvetsa bwino bwino ???

Kanganiwamba
Kanganiwamba
5 years ago

Mwakumana nazo. Timatama ta pa Nyasaland kuti mbii! Kkkkkkkk

Noxy
5 years ago

BBC is not Times my Brother it is objective

Read previous post:
Joyce Banda in Liberia, calls on governments to invest more in girls’ education to build women leaders

Malawi’s former President Joyce Banda says in many parts of Africa, young girls are discriminated against when it comes to...

Close