Opposition Malawi Congress Party’ (MCP) involvement in defrauding water supplier, Lilongwe Water Board and the subsequent defence they have offered on the same is a cause for grave concern for a party that play-acts to stand on high moral ground on issues of fraud, corruption and theft of public resources.
The so called concerned citizens
These bashing sentiments are contained in a statement that has been released by individuals calling themselves Concerned Citizens who have further called on the party to own up the illegal connection, pay all associated fines and issue a public apology to Malawians on the matter within 14 days and move on.
This has been followed by reports that have come to light revealing that former ruling Party for 31 years, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has been defrauding Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) for over two years coupled with failure to pay K6.8 million in water bills at its National Headquarters in Lilongwe.
In the statement, which has been signed by Chairman of the Concerned Citizens, Phillip Kamangila, the group scolds the country’s oldest political party saying it is a pity that an institution which plays a ‘holier than thou’ attitude towards fraud and abuse of public resources is at the centre-stage of defrauding a public institution.
Reads the statement in part: “MCP was on top of its voice accusing LWB and Government for failure to fix the water and sewage problem in Area 18 in time yet the money that the party has been defrauding LWB through the illegal connections was enough have the problem fixed.”
“We find the explanation by the Deputy Security General of the party to be abysmal as he wants us to believe that the accumulated bill of K6.8 million is nothing. How can a responsible party that wants to be trusted with power accumulate such bills?” further queries the statement.
The statement pointed out that the excuse that the party is giving for the illegal connection as being based on the connection to fire hydrant is lame as it is common knowledge that fire hydrants public water and cannot connect to one single building.
“By failing to acknowledge the problem, the MCP leadership is convincing us that they do not see anything wrong with the illegal action and criminal intent provided it is done by them,” add the statement.
The concerned citizens says the party (MCP) has been called upon to name and shame all individuals who were involved in the illegal connection of the water otherwise Malawians will be left with a feeling that the entire party leadership including its President, Reverend Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, sanctioned the (criminal) act with intent to defraud LWB.
“Government and LWB must treat all illegal connections of water as criminal offences and ensure that any institution and company heads involved in the malpractice must face criminal proceedings,” appeals the concerned citizens.
In a separate interview Kamangila said as Concerned Citizens they thought of coming in after noting that some institutions and companies feel they are above the law and are bent towards crippling public service providers.
“We believe that water is life and any attempt that appears to defraud the very body that provides water to Malawians is a human right issue,” he said.
LWB loses 40% of its water to illegal water connections and just last year the body lost K4 billion through such illegal connections.
MCP was not readily available to comment on the statement as the party’s spokesperson, Eisenhower Mkaka could not reached on his phone as his phone went ringing and ringing.
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