Malawi Churches in unholy spotlight: K6m cashgate of Norwegian Church Aid
Malawi Council of Churches (MCC), a coalition of 25 church groups, has found itself in unholy spotlight with reports of K6 million ($11 009.17) looting resulting to the dismissal of its general secretary the Reverend Dr. Osborne Joda Mbewe and project manager Godfrey Mkandawire following a number of the forensic audit queries.
Bishop Gilford Matonga, an MCC board member was chosen to replace Mbewe and is doubling as acting general secretary.
According to a report by The Nation newspaper on October 27, 2015, Mbewe and Mkandawire were fired in July this year on account of “financial irregularities” at MCC after a forensic audit, instituted by the Norwegian Church Aid , a major donor for some of the MCC projects.
Matonga said MCC is now into its recovery and healing processes and is determined to win back the trust and confidence of the donors,
“As MCC, we have fully owned up to all our blunders and we have been effecting corrective measures,” said Bishop Matonga is quoted as saying.
However, the paper reported that Mbewe has taken MCC to the Industrial Relations Court (IRC), for being “ unfairly dismissed.”
He told the publication that the issue of inter-banking and inter-borrowing of the donor funds was “deliberately blown out of proportion,” or misunderstood, because the systems were flexible, since the funds were used on related work financed by the same donor, NCA.
Mbewe feels his explanations to the forensic audit queries appeared to have been ignored, “to fulfill an agenda to dismiss me”.
Norwegian Church Aid country representative Stein Villumstad demanded that the mismanaged funds be refunded MCC and withdrew its aid.
THIS IS MALAWI AT ITS BEST POVERTY FIGHT
The root cause is the stupid Norwegians who over and over again throw their money at Malawi without any follow up mechanism. Fools, Norwegians. This is not the first time the Norwegians have acted as utterly irresponsible doners, causing more harm than good and teaching us Malawians only to become more entrenched beggers. Thanks for nothing.
If god is all powerful and created the universe from nothing, why does he need money to accomplish his projects and good will?
The other thief who is a Man of God is the fat man Ngaiyaye of Malawi Interfaith MIA who is greedy and misuses ndalama mmene akufunila ndi mdzukulu wake mwana wa alongo ake a ku kamuzu central haspital Don Chinkhata Whayo. Amuika pa ubwana woyanganila chuma cha bungwe kuti adzibera limodzi. YOU are abusing your officers yet ukuba ndalama ndi mdzukulu wakoyo. Nanga za OXFAM ubweza liti? Nkhani yako yafika patali ufa ndi BP uwona. Iwe kunenepa konseko osadzimvera chisoni iyayi. Mxiii. Umaperzeka ku filudi umakataniko iwe executive director. Ndiwenso nzake wa BISIKa nad O Joda omwewo iweyo. Robert Ngaiyaye khuluku. ma officers akukuthawira coz you enjoy eating money with your chidzukulu. Kaya nawo a board amakhala alikuti kaya kumangosekelera zinthu. YOu r demotivating your officers. Iwe umati organisation ndi ya anthu a sevwenthday okha kodi? Mabwana wa akubera internet banking. How can the whole ED operate internet banking. kumangopanga transfer ndalama wekha? A Jordah Mbewe mukuvutitsa anthu osalakwa. A ngaiyaye tikuwonerani soon zipeseni ulemu arsogoleri
I am told this is not the first time for Mbewe to chew what does not belong to him. The same happened when he was working for World Vision
Do as i say not as i do.
Cant get the story chachitika ndichani kodi wadya ndalama ndani?
People let us leave with what we have. In due course God will visit us after being good stewards!????????????
Komanso abale……… koma zinthu zikudula abale no wonder mchitidwewu ukhala ukupitililabe.
Azibusanso cash gate
This is just poor management and not mismanagement of funds. The money was put to good use but for another project. Any way, donors are just unnecessarily strict to budget. They would rather you move on foot if your motor vehicle budget repairs had been under-budgetted even if another budget line has funds. In Malawian thinking, we may post-pone certain activities due to emerging issues and that’s why we tell the govt to forgo capital purchases in favour of drugs in hospitals.
Nanunso oJoda, mkadachita vija omachita ozanu wa Nkhoma Synod, kuuza mipingo kuti ichite Paper Sunday kuti ibweze ndalama izo odanyopola ozibusa wa bungwe lotsogolera. Vitsiru vawanthu.
People who don’t claim are God fearing generously donate to serve humanity BUT people who climb on the top of an anthill saying thay are God fearing do steal. Who is God fearing in this case? Hypocrisy!
what do yo preach then if you cannot walk the same path of honesty ?
Kodi machurchwa achulukilenji amathandizapo chani pakhani ya umphawi ndianaamasiye kumalawikuno ? Chifukwa enaamngotolela ndalama mmathumba aanthu opandakuziwakomwekupita ndalamazo. Boma liyendele anthu amachurch pankhani yamakobilikuti akupitakuti. Achurch amakondaso kwambili kuzuzula Boma opandakuziwa komwe kupita ndalamazazopereka.
Nanunso a Nyasatimes, pali nkhani spa? K6million basi?
Kuba Joda Mbewe iwe and why going to court obvious issue iyi yoti unasolora? osangothokoza bwanji kuti sanakumangitse!! iwe ndi banja lako ma lawyer mumawakhulupilira heve I can see now…
Money has no respect for men of God. Men of God, let us lead by example.
Chief Secretary George Mkondiwa has gone to India where the President was supposed to go. For what? This is cash-gate.
That’s how they behave. You would think they have morals because they stand on pulpits on Sundays ooh! Musaone zovalazo, mkati ali fisiyo says one of the hymns in CCAP.
Our family friend in New York complained about this same behavior whereby her financial help she managed to source was diverted into personal bank accounts of the likes of these preachers. Shame!
This is not true. Dr Joda Mbewe is a mature member of the clergy and I feel sad that he can be a victim of smear campaign like this one. How about the other donors? MCC received money from many donors and we have not received any complaints. I am calling for his immediate reinstatement.
What is MK6 million guys? It’s not even enough for one meaningful vehicle? Shall you tarnish the image of the church by such a small amount? Nooooooooooooooo!
Shaaa! Wa mkachisi amadya za mkachisi!!!! You don’t have to be poor like a church mouse!!!
Part of life