Gulf in Malawi cabinet over self-enrichment: Tembenu in ‘bribe’ claims, as Kaliati, Nankhumwa spar

Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is heading to civil war in its rank and file which has exploded to cabinet infighting, bordering on issues of self-enrichment of corrupt deals.

President Peter Mutharika is already on record admitting worsening corruption.

Several stories are flying around about how top government officials, including ministers are busy jumping up and down sealing corrupt deals.

And others have gone sour.

One of the known spat is between Minister of Civic Education and Community Development Patricia Kaliati and the powerful Minister of Local Government Kondwani Nankhumwa, which apparently, triggered cabinet reorganisation for Kaliati to be shoved away from being government spokesperson.

A recorded telephone conversation clip between Kaliati and a DPP party cadre is in circulation on Whatsapp in which it shows deep division between the two Mulanje lawmakers.

The conversation also accused Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) boss Godfrey Itaye of betraying Kaliati.

In the audio clip, Kaliati listens to an advice that several ministers were not happy with her speaking on behalf of ministries without consulting the ministers responsible.

“Madam, there is serious infighting in government, not just among juniors but even at cabinet level… and that is why the President (Peter Mutharika) is being exposed,” the DPP official told Kaliati.

The DPP operative also claims that propaganda plans that a sinister meeting of the ruling party and some directors of Ministry of Information held at Hapuwani Lodge in Mulanje were not being rolled out.

The meeting reportedly, among other things agreed that DPP cadres should silence government critics through violence, abductions and mudslinging.

Kaliati has played down the gulf between her and Nankhumwa.

And Nankhumwa also played down the soured relationship, saying “everything is normal”.

Nankhumwa did not comment on the clip, saying he had not listened to it.

Since the cabinet shake-up, Nankhumwa has been making headlines both online and press linking him to corruption and wrongful self- enrichment.

He suspects Kaliati is being his exposure, both at MACRA and Malawi Defence Force.

Meanwhile, there is cold war between Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Samuel Tembenu and a special aide of President Mutharika over $850,000 alleged bribe which has not be shared properly.

And Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation, George Chaponda is also in the mix as he demands review of all fertiliser contracts suspecting that his cabinet colleagues have pockets bribes.

But sources within cabinet have also threatened to spill the corrupt deals involving Chaponda to do with boreholes.

“Its fighting fire against fire now, we should all eat or we roast each other,” a senior minister told Nyasa Times.

And last Thursday, a state spy reported that he tracked Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Goodall Gondwe in company of Minister of Labour, Youth, Sports and Manpower Development at Golden Peacock Hotel in the evening.

The two ministers were using same car MG270M Toyota Prado with only a Chinese national in it.

But after a brief meeting in a room at the hotel, they came out with a black briefcase which had been stuffed with money – believed to be gratification.

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