Chimulirenji transfers K100m from Ifmis to FDH  Bank account: ‘Band of thieves’

Vice-President Everton Chimulirenji has come under public scrutiny  after he has  transferred K100 million from  Ifmis—government’s electronic payment system— to FDH Bank account to be used for month of November  for his public functions.

According to a leaked letter  from the  Office of the Vice President, dated  November 6 2019, the Principal Secretary and Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs, Wilson Moleni requested Accountant General to move the money from Ifmis to FDH Account.

Moleni said the K100 million would cater for “urgent expenses.”

The transfer of the money comes at a time Chimulirenji is facing criticism for his sudden “generosity” of cash handouts like Father Christmas.

Chimulirenji promised to sponsor Inkosi Gomani’s honeymoon in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Inkosi Gomani V married his 23-year-old South African wife Rishaladzi.

In a published critique, newspaper columnist Moses Michael-Phiri observed that  the media has been awash with condemnation of the Veep’s pledge.

One of the key questions being raised is who will pay for the Dubai trip? Is Chimulirenji going to pay from his pockets as he has done with a few million bucks he has splashed in the past six months?

“We on the streets will not be hoodwinked with nonsense that Chimulirenji will use his personal cash to sponsor Inkosi Gomani. The veep knows as we all do, that he is wasting taxpayers’ money to gain favours with the young chief. But for whose benefit?

“If truth is to be said, Chimulirenji and his band of democratic progressives are nothing but a band of thieves. They steal at every opportunity and splash cash on petty projects such as building a small church in the middle of nowhere to donating cash to a scandalous chief. They do all this while central hospitals, such as Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (Qech) can hardly afford an oxygen kit and our children still learn under the tree,” he stated.

The columnist noted that the  pledge to fund Inkosi Gomani’s luxury trip to Dubai is “just a tip of the iceberg of mediocrity” in the Veep’s office.

He wondered  what has happened to Chimulirenji, “who had very little to show for before May 21 elections getting the money and why does he think a honeymoon of all problems that we have as country warrants his generous donation?”

The columnist added: “The honeymoon is over for Chimulirenji. Malawians have been taking his mediocrity for too long and now he has gone too far in testing our resolve. He must really come to terms with the sad reality that Malawians are watching and don’t like him as their vice-president.”

He observed that Chimulirenji is perhaps shaking the tree to see what Malawians reaction will be.

“Or he is a victim of a rotting system that has no checks and balances,” he said.