CSOs call for robust, substantive debate in Malawi Parliament
Civil society organisation (CSO) leaders are calling on members of parliament meeting in Lilongwe for for a midyear budget review to have robust debate and scrutiny to the details of budget expenditure rather than political bickering.
Speaking on Tikambirane programme on MBC, Executive Director of Malawi Watch Billy Banda urged MPs to focus on development work rather than getting embroiled in the maizegate saga.
“Parliament should be a place of robust and substantive debate for the common good of our country,” Banda said.
Similarly, Chairperson for Civil Society Platform for Constructive Dialogue, Oliver Nakoma appealed to parliamentarians to wait for the official reports of the Commission of Inquiry on maizegate and the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture which visited Zambia last week to gather information and release their reports.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau is also investigating the matter but it appears that political parties are seeking to score points before the Commission issues its findings on 9th February.
Nakoma said the nation expect MPs to have intense scrutiny on a budget.
She said it was “essential” that parliament had “sufficient time to scrutinise the budget” the way government has spend midway.
Some of the issues they expect to be raised in the House are the controversial purchase of maize from Zambia and slow progress on the K236 billion Cashgate suspected to have occurred in the previous Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government.
Health rights activists expect that government will raise the health sector budget so that drugs become available to the country’s health facilities, particularly this time when some hospitals have already exhausted their drug budgets.
I used to respect this man before when he spoke wisdom, but from the time he started siding with dpp he lost it all I don’t think he still has a word, any one whom MBC gives airtime speaks in favour of gvnt, and he speaks on behalf of gvt Billy is a very friend of adviser wa Bwampini hence he is nothing.
Billy Banda is right. Look at the series of accusations on the so called maizegate. They started with the K9.5 billion alleged to have been stolen. They came up with another accusation of misprocurement. They were also accusing those involved in procurement signing more than one contracts without telling Malawians whether the total tonnage from those multiple contracts were more than the national requirements. To date no one has provided the formula on which the K9.5 billion was calculated for people to make sense out of it. From the above it is clear that the joint parliamentary committee has no… Read more »
Billy shut up your stinking mouth. Idiot! You are not an activist per say. You are a fortune seeker and you do not wish Malawians well. Issues of maize gate are equally important and they need thorough debate. It is the same parliament that approved the loan to buy the maize and you are saying they should not debate on how the money was used? You guys are now provoking peoples anger and soon or later you will be dealt with accordingly. What you are doing is not the best way to get out of poverty. You are contributing in… Read more »
What is this failed so called Activist saying? Is he suggesting that the maize scandal is not worth deliberating in Parliament? If that is what he is insinuating then where are checks and balances? How does Banda value the scandal anyway? He is another Kapito who has lost direction – ma CSO ogudwa. What are issues of national importance other than maizegate? I am not surprised he said this nonsense on MBC, zochita kupempha kuti ndiyankhule pa wailesi..He cannot say this trash on Zodiak, because the journalist will challenge him while MBC reporters get lectured by thieves.. I will rule… Read more »