Goodall, Nankhumwa must listen to pave way for investigations—Human Rights Defenders

The Human Rights Defenders Forum (HRDF) says Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe and h Local Government Minister Kondwani Nakhumwa must listen and “honourably” step down since the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is in the thick of investigating them over the K4 billion parliamentary allocation.

Last month ACB opened a file to probe Gondwe and Nankhumwa “after receiving complaints from many people,” according to the graft-busting boss, Reyneck Matemba.

Said Matemba: “The Bureau gets information in many ways. We can see it in the newspaper on TV or hear it on radio and act.”

CSOs, led by Gift Trapence, Timothy Mtambo and Charles Kajoloweka are planning to hold mass demonstrations nationwide on April 27 to force Finance Minister to resign.

But Gondwe and Nakhumwa have been adamant.

Gondwe has actually challenged that the CSOs should first prove wrong before he goes. He still claims he is “innocent.”

But in an interview with Nyasa Times, HRDF chairperson, Timothy Mtambo, said it “does not make sense” for the two to remain in their positions while they are being investigated.

“They might infringe the whole process,” said Mtambo.

Mtambo, whose organization CHRR is a signee to the statement on the April 27 demonstrations, said the two—as people who preach democracy everyday— “should know better that what they are doing does not happen anywhere.”

Said Mtambo: “When ACB began investigating [George] Chaponda over the maize-gate scam he thought he was untouchable. But what happened? Do, they too, want to resign embarrassingly?”

He asked Nakhumwa and Gondwe to resign honourably.

Calls for the two ministers’ resignation have come from far and wide practically since the contentious money [K 4 billion] was initially earmarked for development projects in 86 constituencies but will now be shared equally by all the 193 constituencies, meaning that each constituency will receive K20.7 million.

At first, it meant only the 86 constituencies; and, this ruffled feathers on what was the criteria for selection.

Capital Hill has argued that the money, termed quick grant project, is meant for rural development.

But the two have been adamant. Gondwe has actually challenged the CSOs

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