Chilima refuses to be stampeded by DPP: ‘I will not abdicate office of Malawi VP’
Malawian Vice-President Dr Saulos Klaus Chilima (SKC) has rebuffed Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government call for his resignation over strong criticism of government on corruption and nepotism and his subsequent resignation from the ruling party.
The DPP through five senior ministers; Goodall Gondwe, Nichalous Dausi, Bright Msaka, Samuel Tembenu and Henry Mussa held a news conference where they accused Chilima of practicing opposition politics while serving in a government position; hence, called for his immediate resignation.
While stating that he is not in the habit of reacting to what others say, Chilima said at a rally of his United Transformation Movement (UTM) in Blantyre on Sunday that Cabinet ministers calling for his resignation should understand that he was not appointed, but appeared on the presidential ballot alongside Mutharika in the May 20 2014 Tripartite elections.
“In 2014, the President [Mutharika] and myself contested in the presidential race. There were some who contested as members of parliament [MPs] and some as ward councillors. No one contested to be a minister.
“The qualification to be a minister is based on ‘pleasing’ the appointing authority to do so. It is a pleasure. I was mot appointed .”
And in an exclusive interview on Times Television , Chilima said while the people who asked him to resign are entitled to their opinion, his thinking was that it is not right.
According to Chilima, he has a contract with Malawians.
Said Chilima: “I signed a contract with Malawians in 2014 and from my knowledge this contract ends in 2019.
“It’s up to me decide whether I want to resign or not, and as of now I don’t see any reason to resign as I continue to serve Malawians,” said Chilima.
Chilima said he still goes to Capital Hill to work where he meets various people that need the vice president’s services.
The 45-year old admitted his soured relationship with President Peter Mutharika was because of “some” people in the DPP.
“These are people who gossip and sow seeds of division. These people seemed to have mastered the art of destroying the good relationship between the President and his Vice,” he said.
Henry Chingaipe, a political analyst has alsi questioned the DPP move to call for the Vice President’s resignation, arguing the office is protected by the Constitution, describing the move as too much ado about nothing.
He said the Vice-President can only resign on his own accord and said absence of impeachment procedures mean the DPP cannot forcibly remove him.
“The question is, is what the ministers are saying having any merit, perhaps what is happening is politically untenable but the office is a constitutional office, what they are looking for is a political solution. It might address the immediate issue but not the long term problem,” Chingaipe said in quotes reported by The Nation newspaper.
The fallout between Chilima and his boss Peter Mutharika follows the VPs announcement that he was leaving the ruling party and hinted on challenging for the presidency during next year’s elections.
During the week, the state trimmed drastically his security detail and the two sides have been at loggerheads trading accusations on corruption, among others.
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I would like to comment on Chilima’s narration of creating 1 million jobs a year.The way how Peter has destroyed jobs infrastructure in Country,candidly speaking,it will take a decade or more to creat jobs for unemployed Malawians.Let us face the facts,but Chilima came with a good notion that would uplift the living standards of young Malawians.We have some problems right now of acute unemployment of our youth generation,what methode would Chilima apply to secure such a big number?However,Chilima has shown his love to our young people of Malawi.He has not told them to chase Mbewa and grasshopper to eat,as the bloody-mchona did some months ago.Here Malawians,we must learn our lesson.Having PHd does not mean anything,it is his PHd,and not ours,by the by the way,we don’t eat PHds.Dr.Chilima,what we want are jobs for our young to help their old parents.MATHANYULA wouldn’t care about this because he has no family living with him in Malawi.His two children are living in the US,but eating Malawi money from the poorest nation in AFRICA,where you could not see medicines in hospitals,power is no longer threre,if it is there ,you will find power in Muthanyula’s home and from his serviles. So Malawians,let us get united in order to vanquish these thieves. who have destroyed our lovely Malawi for their own good.IT CAN BE DONE,PLAY YOUR PART.
He knows he will not win and if he resigns he will forfeit his benefits.
Chilima you joined dpp knowing it was a bad party. You went there for money and not to serve Malawians. Please do not cheat us. You knew how Chilumpha and Joyce Banda were treated.
WANTHU WAJITUNDIRENGE APA…..MATUZI GHASUZGA KU BOMA KUTI WAWAWAWA
This is why we need to doubt the capacity of our cabinet ministers to serve in a constitutional democracy when they haven’t even read the constitution let alone understanding it. We have people people in senior party positions who have neither read the country’s party’s constitutions. It’s a shame really when these so called cabinet ministers demonstrate their ignorance publicly. The only best thing they can now do is to amend the constitution to allow a head of state to fire his or her VP. South African constitution makes allowance for that especially when the VP has placed the government into disrepute or dishonoured his/her oath of office.
SKC it’s super easy, just take them to court and they will shut up
COMRADES, YOU MUST REMEMBER THAT IT IS DPP THAT DID AL THEY CAN TO FRUSTRATE THE VOICES OF OTHER SUPPORTERS WITHIN THE PARTY WHO WANTED CHILIMA TO CONTEST AS PRESIDENT OF DPP. EVEN THE PRESIDENT SAID “NDIZAWANYENYANYENYA”. HIS RIGHTS AS A MALAWIAN TO COMPETE WERE VIOLATED.
SO CHILIMA DECIDED NOT TO CONTEST AND EXERCISE HIS RIGHTS BY JOINING A POLITICAL MOVEMENT WHERE HE IS THE PRESIDENT, WHY SHOULD THE SAME DPP FORCE HIM TO RESIGN? I THOUGHT ITS PETER MUTHARIKA WHO TOOK AWAY RESPONSIBILITIES OF DISASTER MANAGEMENT AFFAIRS FROM CHILIMA? CHILIMA HAS DONE NOTHIMG WRONG HERE!
BY THE WAY, WHY DID PETER NOT ADVISE HIS BROTHER TO RESIGN FROM BEING THE PRESIDENT IN 2005 AFTER DITCHING UDF WHICH SPONSORED HIS TO POWER? WHY THE DOUBLE-STANDARDS NOW?
CHILIMA IS NOT RESIGNING EVEN IF CARDIAC ARREST THREATENS PETER!
ASOVENGE!
I don’t see Chilima’s logic to stick to VP role when he is blaming his own Government for corruption. What are you doing in a corrupt government really! Just leave government altogether and live like an ordinary Malawian. Only when you do that, people will trust you! You are wasting our money on opposing your own government. You are busy dramatising poverty and hardships that Malawians are going through. You are making merry everyday in the state house and you tell us you want change. Sure? After all looking at those drumming your support one doubts if you are a true game changer – Carrista mocked Malawians on fuel shortage when her husband was in power – today she sings transformation. Name Kaliati, Maswangwi and others…….no way!
Coming of Manganya and Winiko makes it more interesting. Some of us were with this dude in School and have socialised with him and know he can be a good entertainer.
We have great entertainment during this election period! The best campaign strategy will win the day. It is always good to be positive and hopeful. The road to state house is never scientific. It depends on the mood and the wishes of the majority of the people. The main question people will tend to ask is ‘what is in it for me?’ If you can address this question properly you have high chances of gaining victory.
What is in it for the followers of the movement? To end the elusive corruption and then hope that things will work out for them? One thing I have noticed for sure is that people would want to become president either by hook or crook. It doesn’t matter whether they promise the moon or any other unattainable targets. What matters to them is to get into government.
Leaders may have good intentions initially, but the moment they assume power, the intentions are thrown out through the window. Winning the presidency is not a one man show. It is a collective responsibility with some people spending millions to support the cause, not without expectation in return. These are the people who will bend the good intentions of the president and the usual circus will replay before the nation.
Politics is never objective, has never been objective and it will never be objective. Everyone wants a piece of the cake! If you happen to be on the winning side you have a higher claim for the cake. Mostly the losers will cry foul as they observe in dismay the ruling elite, who few months previously were wallowing in abject poverty, living like kings.
This is the nature of our politics, not matter what promises are made. A leader who can truly change things should not necessarily come through campaign system where local business tycoons splash their millions to support the candidates in anticipation of greater rewards.
Democracy breeds corruption especially in the developing world, as the leader emerge with encumbrances. We need to reverse the hand of time for stability and sustainable development. We need leadership that does not come by way of election. We need a monarchy that can ‘rule with a rod of iron’ in order to level a playing field. We need Jesus!
Saulosi, yes you are right that we voted you into power together with APM . As a voter I want to remind you that I assigned you the job of Vice president for the entire five years and not 4 years in power and 1 year in opposition. YOU have cheated me. I agree with you again that you should not resign from government. But I ask you to resign from opposition because I did not vote you to be in opposition. my vote has always been a winner. you are betraying me the voter. Ndimakunyadirani bwana kuti mwachita zitukuko zochuluka pamodzi ndi APM. Koma zomwe mwachitazi zikuoneka kuti bwana State pulezident achita okha zitukuko zones inu mumangonyenya mumachita ulesi mumachita dumbo, nsanje kudikila zikakwana zaka 4 muzayambe kampeni yoti ine ndemwe ndizakuvotereninso kukhala pulezident. kudelera chomwe wapatsidwa kusayamika, kuzimva. Ineyo mkatolika weni weni ndipo wa kwa Eneya ku ncheu sindizakuvoterani mu 2019 koma mu 2024 ndiye ndizakuvotereni. Bekeshu bekeshuu, bekeshu, wakutuma ndani, bekeshu, kuti ubekeshule, bekeshu, mwana wachipongwe
Malawians also voted for Peter Mutharika to lift Malawians from abject poverty and do so with integrity and ethics. So far it seems we have not gotten value for our tax money. Over K6 trillion of our tax money has gone to waste over the last 4 years with most it ending up in a few individuals pockets. Given that he hasn’t delivered on our mandate as voters, i urge Peter to resign. It works both ways Munthali.
Chilima Ausiye u VP basi … that in the interest of consistency.
Everyone knows he’s not doing the VP job (because he fired himself); and, especially as privateer he know well that if one is not working and is not on vacation, no wages are paid. THERE IS NO EXCEPTION – whether you were given the job thru dreams by god, or you piggybacking on APM the UDF ticket.
I really think you would be a genuine hero in Malawi urban areas if you gave up the job and the salary. People would put your sacrifices on a pedestal, even if they pretty well that you are an ultra rich (quasi) oligarchy. Under the circumstances, urbanites not hold this against you.
Koma, as for villagers, majelasi tho. And their sophistication is dubious at best anyway. So do not worry about them , and you can’t do any thing about them. Yet they may determine your fate; and deprive you a victory you feel so entitled to.
So, please, do Malawians a favor: resign the VP “no job” just a title now, and make the advancing the bus company the full time it deserves. That way, if you lose, you can’t blame it on the VP job, whose actual work you DO NOT have.
CHANGING !!! CHANGING !!!!! I SENSE CHANGE
So let me get this straight, there are corrupt people in Government belonging to DPP and some of the people supporting UTM financially are in DPP they just haven’t left the party yet. Does that mean there is a possibility njonda zina akukamba zija that zimaba are also funding UTM. Because he has said he doesn’t mind working with people who are answering corruption charges like Makondi until a court declares them guilty. Which means anyone not found guilty of corruption is not corrupt according to SKC and yet pa podium is saying people not convicted of corruption are corrupt? Or is it if you are on his team you are not a thief but if you are on the other team you are corrupt. Someone school me.
I share your sentiments
I think this guy hasn’t mastered speaking in a political way. He seems too excited and carried away by the status quo such that he can’t weave his statements in ways that won’t raise suspicions in people’s heads. He criticizes the same people as corrupt and retrogressive and yet goes back to them to get funding. What a contradiction!!
Bodza the guy holds his audience attentive you can’t even train anyone about oratory his is well delivered unlike the toothless old guy whose words roll out like pebbles it takes thirty seconds to spill out a syllabi
SAULOS IS NOT RESIGNING. THAT’S IT WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. UTM WOYEE😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
You DPP do the right thing now than later like start packing bcoz u won’t have enough time in few days to come,
Wether you like it or not Malawians want Change at a very fast pace. And this change is coming with UTM and Chilima as head of state.
MCP is coming second as still biggest opposition and for the DPP will be the end of it and the end of Muntharika’s dynasty.
I concur
Don’t play with fire MCP..IS the winnnerday wait, snd seeeyou. Chilima ndiwakubado naye musakomedwe sangawone