CSOs press on Mutharika to fire Chaponda, Mulumbe until investigations are over on Malawi/Zambia ‘maizegate’

Civil society organisations (CSOs) who have also called for the resignation of Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development George Chaponda and suspendion of State-produce trader Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) chief executive officer Foster Mulumbe to pave way for corruption investigation into the Zambian maize procurement saga are currently meeting in Lilongwe in a bid to put pressure on President Peter Mutharika.

This follows the setting up of a Commission of Inquiry to probe how Admarc procured 100,000 metric tonnes of maize from Zambia.

But Robert Mkwezalamba, Human Rights Consultative Committee executive director said the meeting is aimed at strategising what action to take if Chaponda and Mlumbe are not suspended.

He said in the past there have been commission of inquiries whose reports the government has not worked on.

His sentiments  have been echoed by Chancellor College Law Professor Edge Kanyongolo who said the setting up of the inquiry is time buying.

CSOs pushing for this matter include Public Affairs Committee (PAC), Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), Malawi Health Equity Network (Mhen), Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) and Civil Society Education Coalition (Csec).

Others are Centre for the Development of People (Cedep), Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), Youth and Society (YAS) and Citizen Alliance.

Apart from suggesting that Mulumbe and Chaponda should step down, the CSOs also want government to set up an independent investigations commission made up of CSOs, private entrepreneurs,  parliamentarians and ACB officials to investigate the deal and  report within three weeks from such appointments.

Besides Mulumbe, the CSOs also want all officials who have been party to the transaction to be suspended to pave the way for independent investigations.

Further, the CSOs want Admarc to vacate an injunction it sought against Times Group and that all actions against national entities and individuals discontented with the deal be withdrawn.

The rights defenders also demand that the status of the purchase of the maize be declared to the public with all the remaining processes covered in camera.