Law scholer backs Chaponda order: Malawi ‘accidental voters’ would still elect ‘maizegater’, says analyst
A local social-political commentator has said if the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) were to feature maize-gate implicated Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development George Chaponda as presidential candidate some quite good number of Malawians would still vote for him despite being implicated in the Zambia maize import saga.
Writing on the social media, Makhumbo Munthali formerly of Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) and now National Secretary of the Ethics, Peace, and Justice Commission (EPJC) of Evangelical Association of Malawi said due to patronage, clientelism and regionalism some sections of the society would still vote for Chaponda if DPP were to decide to feature him as a Presidential candidate despite his involvement in the maize-gate saga based on precedence.
Wrote Munthali on his Facebook page: “Verily, verily I say unto you, if George Chaponda was to be featured as DPP Presidential Candidate in an election today, quite a good number of Malawians particularly those in the Southern and Eastern region block and of course some few parts of North and Central region would vote for him to the extent of making him the President of the country.
“ If these sections of ‘accidental voters’ were able to usher into power someone who had allegedly attempted to disregard the Constitution by preventing the-then Vice President Joyce Banda from taking her position as the next President after the death of Bingu wa Mutharika and after that remained mum after the case was discontinued with impunity, what can stop them from voting for someone allegedly at the centre of maizegate saga.”
Added Munthali: “In fact, by allegedly involving himself in the maizegate saga Chaponda may have won the hearts of not only these accidental voters but also the heart of the Big Kahuna who may even strategically start positioning him as an heir to the throne. Amangwetu this is Malawi” concluded Munthali.
‘Facade inquiry’
Meanwhile, respected professor of Public Law at the University of Cape Town DanwoodChirwa also took to the social media to back High Court order stopping Chaponda from executing his Cabinet Ministerial duties until a probe into the Zambia maize import is over by arguing that the court’s decision was a reminder to the President to uphold his Constitutional obligations.
Wrote Chirwa on his Facebook page: “If a president fails to uphold the constitution he swore to defend, it is of course the singular duty of the courts to remind him of his constitutional responsibilities. Justice James Chirwa must be applauded for doing his job.As for the politically minded legal advisers at the ministry of justice, please be frank with your political superior and tell him to take seriously and at once put an end to cashgate and looting of public funds. Attacking the judge is both ill-advised and stupid.”
The law professor further faulted the institution of the public inquiry commission on the ‘maizegate’ arguing it was merely put there to cover up the current regime’s involvement in the whole saga
“The so-called commission of inquiry is a façade aimed at shielding the suspects from accountability. There is no need for an expensive commission filled by political cadres to investigate this criminal issue whose facts are easily ascertainable. There are qualified investigators within the law enforcement agencies who can get to the bottom of this within days, not even weeks,” argued Chirwa
Concurring with Chirwa’s observations, Munthali wrote on his Facebook page: “The Court may have only reminded the President what he is and was supposed to do”.
The Mzuzu High Court rulling has divided public opinion with government through Attorney General Kalekeni Kaphale pledging to challenge the decision.
“We will challenge the injunction, and we will also challenge the judicial review as soon as we are served.”
Malawi Law Society (MLS) president John Suzi-Banda said in quotes reported by The Nation: “A decision of the court under our laws, as long as it is valid, it does not matter whether somebody disagrees with it or is aggrieved with it, until it is discharged.”
Besides, Youth and Society (YAS), Church and Society Programme of the CCAP Synod of Livingstonia other CSOs like Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), Civil Society Education Coalition (CSEC), Foundation for Children’s Rights, National Women’s Lobby, Foundation for Justice Support and Phunzirani Development Organisation have also joined the case.
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Makhumbo Munthali is not able to read the situation properly. Which precedence is he talking about? Don’t relate the case of Chaponda and Muluzi (if that’s what is in your mind) when people said “tivoterabe wakuba yemweyo.” People said this simply to change government when they were fed up with Kamuzu, but now things are different and Malawians are fast maturing democratically. Did Muluzi third bid for presidency succeed? That alone should tell you a story. The people who said whether Muluzi is a thief or not we shall still vote for him were the same people who turned against him and shot down his third term bid for presidency. Much as in theory I agree that the rural population is mostly illiterate, the NGO’s including NICE are doing a lot to raise public awareness on democratic issues and I can assure you the situation has now changed.
iwe muchewa bwanji ukunyoza Atumbuka Kodi achewa munakhala bwanji?ili ndi dziko one day muzatifuna Go ahead zinyozani
Northerners want federalism.
Which is more serious
1 maize gate or feeding people to crocodiles
2.which is more dangerous cashgate or maize gate
3 which is more serious stealing church money from the poor and build a mansion (Chakwera)
4 which is serious and inhuman maize gate or killing JEHOVAS witness for not buying membership cards
5 which is painful maize gate or killing innocent 4cabinet ministers
Which is serous maize gate or displacing Tumbuka s chasing them back to enunweni etc
Whoever is a Tumbuka and thinks you are intelligent you are wasting your time. With your intelligence why didn’t you fight Kamuzu. You waited until when he was encapastated
Even today if we were to vote for chaponda northerners would vote for him in large numbers. Don’t be fooled the man whom you despise one day will marry your mom and end up calling him my step father. Mark my words
LAW SCHOLAR? My foot! Bigot???
Unfortunately, that’s what democracy is all about. There’s nothing(constitutionally) to prevent him from standing as an MP or President. After all, one is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Ofcourse the electorate might disregard his misdemeanors and still vote for him based on his ability to deliver(or his place of origin). Remember Americans recently voted for Trump despite being as a******e. That’s the system of government that we chose despite Kamuzu warning us against multiparty democracy.
As much as I dont support the DPP government, I think the media are too quick to condemn(TRIAL BY PRESS). Personally, I would opt for Chilima as the next presidential candidate, he’s young, innovative and progressive.
As the majority of uneducated are from South it will always be difficult for Malawi to have a leader from central and north.The illiterate masses from south are always fooled with handouts during campaign time and it will take ages to eradicate that disease.Federalism or independence is the only available answer for north and central.During Kamuzu time no civil servant or politians could steal from govt coffers and hospital drugs were always in abandance.Lero tikuwona ma MP kukhala ndi 15 cars panyumba.
when one is born not to be a leader these are results
Iwe ukuti ndiwe Joyce should know that your dpp and Chapondas time is very soon elapsing, don’t forget cardiac arrest redeemed us from your evil dictator Bingu, this time around another cardiac arrest will redeem us from these your evil Chaponda and the dull leader we have. Dpp is a walking devil that needs total destruction and cardic arrest will very soon assist us. Ngati zinatheka through PAC kumpatsa Bingu 60 days and cardiac arrest came before those 60 days, awa oba chimangawa ndindaniso kuti akatikanike. You will very soon gnash and wail for this your blind following of the evil dpp. Mulungu si Peter Mutharika or Chaponda, you will very soon face the consequences.
Danwood Chirwa’s views do NOT carry any weight in Malawi, any more .
AMalawi anachenjera (Malawians now see beyond words: they are aware of hidden motives.)
mukavotera chaponda ndiye mwawononga dziko ngwakuba ameneyu, anaba asikali za allowance ali ku united nations ,akukhuzidwa ndi chimangagate akuzidwanso cashgate munthu mmodzi ndi milandu yonseyo amalawi ndiye kusasganiza, where theres smoke theres fire ngati ndibodza idzakhala minus mlandu imodzi koma popedza DPP ikuwononga dziko potsawonetsa chilungamo but the trueth shall set you free mukachita chilungamo
Am a malawian citizen iiving abroad,i have been seeing rich people more especially politicians giving hangouts to buy citizens in particular areas as campain why do they not donate drugs to hospitals as hospitals from the south, central and north has no drugs do you think these are the real leaders to vote for ? recentry a certain politician donanated hundreds of bicycles what are they for to buy votes instead of serving livies which are in pain as we are talking. This really shows rotten politics please fellow malawians dont vote for such people they just want to use. .
Amalawi manyazi mulibe mukungo tukwana basi. Kodi mulibe zina zochita mwina zolemba. Mind you politics is a dirty game whoever you will vote for whether Chaponda mulilabe you will gain nothing poverty will continue like that akubawo azipitilira kuba. Mind you chilungamo chinapita ndi Kamuzu kunanalibe umphawi ngati umenewu kalero. Now things are worse our kwacha has no value at all. No drugs in hospitals good peaple donates drugs idiots say its campain what ashame.
The corrupted Judge who allowed DPP to was latter silenced because they knew that he may spill the beans.
Please count me in. I would vote Chaponda. The only thing Northerners do better is backstabbing. They are evil pple head to toe.
They know they can not win Govt through legal means and they use cangaroo courts to advanve the same. Shame on you stinking tumbukas.
From chiphwisigate to maizegate
First of be reminded that APM didn’t win, he rigged the elections with the help of the judicially.
The irregularities were so massive that they warranted a ballot verification. But the judicially was so corrupt and succumbed to pressure from the thieves to go ahead to announce the results.
I just want to remind you that malawians from all regions voted wisely but was let down by the selfish judges.
If at you judges don’t change and support the electoral reforms, you are failing malawians again.
So there’s nothing like accidental voters but accidental judges.
@Joyce u r the most foolish Malawian or sleepy southerner. It’s a fact the South can’t match the North Intellectually. The only comfort the South has is they r massively overpopulated for no economic reasons but out of high degree levels of ignorance. Chimene ukutukwana anthu akumpoto iwenso chachikulu cha mako wamva?
Where was the research for ur conclusions done? By intelligence u mean academic papers or what? In the North there are several tribes and u mean u r all intellectuals bcoz u r located in the north. Or u r born with intelligent genes. Revisit history of the genesis of education in Malawi then u will understand. Ngati uli wanzeru uziyankhe wekha.
Nanu inu siyani kuzikweza chonchi! Aaaaa.
There is no clan, tribe or region that has a monopoly for intelligence, or anything for that matter, in this country. That is why, in this era, every district can take pride in having all sorts of successful people.
That kind of belief and talk actually contributes to some of the antagonism the North faces. Fortunately, not all Northerners believe in that, and not all Southerners of Centrallers hold that against the North.
Some of us still have good friends from the North.
Chaponda is not implicated in the scam because he is not at all party to the deal. Yes we will vote for Chaponda just you vote for your people. It is foolish to conclude that by voting for Chaponda or DPP we are not intelligent, a group of northern region activists and a northern region judge backed by a South African based street lawyer trying to destroy a southerner out of hatred. Machende amanu. You will never ever be in power you little smelly rats
I am 100% with you Joyce. Where were these activists during JBs cashgate? Why didn’t they ask her to resign? Its because atumbukawa amadya now. Machende awodi!!!!
I am only happy that we are slowly graduating from “hand clapping” which will eventually rdeuce the number of “accidental voters”.
If we have quarters that can challenge the self claimed and unchallenged Bulldozer Chaponda and questioning the otherwise final (presidential) decisions!!
Ana achepa chakula ndi nsanje pa Malawi ndani sanalakwepo nanga wabwino alikuti
Thanks for acknowledging the political prowess of DPP. By the way not only a few rather quite a substantial number of people would vote for DPP in the north and centre, that is that is the difference btwn DPP and the other parties. DPP is a national party because despite the political schemes DPP showed people that they can deliver. I for one would not like Chaponda to be DPP torch bearer, even almost half of voters in his constituency would not like it, he almost lost his MP seat. So stop ur prejudice people may surprise u the way they surprised JB in her own backyard in ZA. I disagree with Dan wood on the maize issue I think it is obviuos that the issue has been blown up politically but its not quite straight that the accused indulged in corruption in fact umboni my not be sufficient enough to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt.
Mwayamba kutenga ma opinion from desktop lawyers! Do you expect Danwood Chirwa to rebuke his brother judge James Chirwa?
Malawians can still vote for Jijo coz even in the most civilized world people vote for mediocrity…the likes of Jacob Zuma
and Trump