Kaliati insists Malawi to ban ‘noisy’ NGOs: ‘They are not being transparent’

Government has repeated its threats to deregister “noisy” non-governmental organisations that are operating without following proper procedures such as registering with the NGO Board.

Kaliati: Register or risk being banned, NGOs warned
Kaliati: Register or risk being banned, NGOs warned

Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Patricia Kaliati commenting in the National Assembly on the budget for the NGOs responding to a question from Boniface Kadzamira and independent MP for Ntchisi North.

“When we were working on the budget, where they looked at K120 million, then we came up to a consensus of giving them K80 million, which they are going to use in supervising and monitoring what is happening.

“We came up with this budget because we have seen that our friends across the borders are able to monitor the NGOs and close those NGOs that are not even transparent in their programmes and how they use the money,” said Kaliati.

She continued: The problem which we have is that we do not support each other. We are the very same people who make noise and yet, the moneys are not trickling down to the villages. We part them on their back and work together with them, and yet, we know that, our donors are supporting them very much. Millions and billions of money is going to the NGOs.”

Kaliati said the NGOs should be monitored on what they are doing “on the ground and what our NGOs are doing than just making noise for the sake of making noise.”

The Minister accused the NGOs of not being transparent with their resources.

“These NGOs who are making noise, are the ones who are not even transparent with the money which they get,” pointed out Kaliati.

“They are taking a lot of money from government because we had options that if they are not giving the money to the Minister of Finance and government, then, they can go beyond and start rolling out in the villages with the programmes that they have. So if they are not doing that, we will be closing their NGOs and see how best they are to work,” said Kaliati attracting applause from government benches.

Kaliati said there are about 300 NGOs who are operating “without following proper procedures”, mostly those that are critical to the administration.

She said the NGOs which are not registered with the Board “are those that are just making noise and parading in the roads. They are asking government to be transparent but they are not transparent themselves, but we work together as we give them the monies.”

Those targeted for closure include Malawi Network of Religious Leaders Living with Aids (Manelera) led by Reverend MacDonald Sembereka, Malawi Health Equity Network (Mhen) whose Executive Director is the vocal activist Martha Kwataine, Centre for Development of People (Cedep) under the leadership of another vocal activist Gift Trapence and Malawi Economic Justice Network (Mejn) led by Dalitso Kubalasa.

In line with section of 20 of the NGO Act, every organisation that wishes to operate or is operating in Malawi as an NGO must register with NGO Board.

NGO Board chairperson Emily Banda said all the NGOs are aware of the NGO law that they are required to register with the board failing which they will be operating in the country illegally.

She said after the organisations are registered either under the Company Act and Council for Non-Governmental Organisations in Malawi (Congoma) they are also supposed to register with the Board.

Commentators say the Peter Mutharika government wanted to copy the Robert Mugabe strategy which banned all NGOs operations in Zimbabwe on June 4, 2008. But Kaliati denied the fears.

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James mkoko
James mkoko
9 years ago

Mayi Kaliati mukunena zoona anthu amenewa sakutithandiza ife anthu akumizi Chonde azibwela ngati satelo achotseni msanga zithu zidanaonongeke!!!!!!

KAMBWE
9 years ago

You are more Noisier than those NGOs…so shut yourself up!!!

tione
tione
9 years ago

Mutulutse forensic report apa. Dou you want to divert our minds? Galu Kaliati, mfiti, nkhumba, khoswe, nkhono

Gulugufe
Gulugufe
9 years ago

Shut down these stupid NGOs also known as ‘Reverend’ Sembereka, Timothy Mtambo, Gift Trapence, Martha Kwataine (at first I thought she was intelligent and principled), Kubalasa and the wanna be NGO known as Jessie Kabwila.

Yahudah
9 years ago

Proverbs 21:14
The mouth of a strange woman (jezibel) is a deep pit the one denounced by YAH falls in there.

1 John 8
The one doing sin is of the devil because the devil has sinned from the beginning for this purpose the son of YAH was manifested to destroy the works of the devil.

John 8:34
Truely, truely everyone doing sin is a servant of Satan.

Bonzo
Bonzo
9 years ago

Better stealing ngos than government ministries that steal from its own people. Shame on u kaliat. Does registering makes the noisy ngos silent?

keston
keston
9 years ago

ya close them especially those that are bringing comfusion to this nation because they just oppose anything for sake of opposing inorder to get sm favour or cash from donors which they also cashgate NGO’s also needs to be traced hw they use their money coz ndalama zina zimwe akumatenga akutiwonongela dziko lathu labwinoli

m.m
m.m
9 years ago

kaliyati ungokhala chete wayambiranso u big mouth uja asiye ma NGO.Mukukanika kuyendetsa boma apa.

THE WISE ONE
THE WISE ONE
9 years ago

Honestly there is sense in what DPP wants to do on non registered NGOs. I am one of the critics of DPP but on this one let me back them. Many of you are wondering why the budget lines of many departments have been scaled down? Its because the NGOs are factored in. For instance is for example Balaka District hospital plans to buy condoms worthy $1,000,000 and UNFPA Plans to assist Balaka with Condoms worthy the same value, the budget line on government is scraped off because UNFPA has covered it. So there is a need to monitor these… Read more »

edda mwalweni
edda mwalweni
9 years ago

Hon Minister,yambani mwakonza banja lanu.

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