Malawi courts suspends Minister Chaponda over maizegate

January 12, 2017 Collins Mtika -Nyasa Times 66 Comments

High Court registry in Mzuzu has granted an injunction to three civil society organisations who applied for a judicial review of President Peter Mutharika’s decision not to suspend  Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development George Chaponda to pave way for smooth investigations on maizegate.

Chaponda: Court grants an order to have him suspended from Cabinet

Private citizen Charles Kajoloweka, the Church and Society Program of the CCAP Livingstonia Synod, Centre for the Development of People and Youth and Society filed the eight ground lawsuit at Mzuzu High Court.

Their action follows Mutharika’s appointment of a commission of inquiry into the allegation sof corruption and malpractices into the Zambian maize procurement saga..

Kajoloweka and the others argue that failure by Mutharika to fire Chaponda will compromise the outcome of the Commission of Inquiry on maizegate as a line Cabinet minister, he may interefere with the investigations.

Justice John Chirwa grated the injunction on Thursday, effectively suspending Chaponda from cabinet and allowing a judicial review as  the CSOs argue that Mutharika erred in his choice of commission of inquiry.

Chaponda, who will be served with court papers on Thursday, faces contempt of court charges and possible arrest if he does not duly complied with the High Court order.

“The Court also granted leave to proceed with case in the form of a judicial review,” said Wesley Mwafulirwa, the CSOs Counsel from John Tennyson and Associates.

Chaponda refused to resign whilst Mutharika developed cold feet to kickout the political “bulldozer” merely on allegations and speculation.

The board of director of State-produce trader Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) has since sent on forced leave  chief executive officer Foster Mulumbe who is accused with Chapoda of suspicious dealings in the way they bought the 100000 metric tonnes of maize from Zambia.

Both Chaponda and Mulumbe deny any wrong doing.

Anti Corruption Bureau is also probing the engagement of a privately-owned Zambian company Kaloswe Commuter and Courier Limited which purportedly played the role of middleman in the maize import deal.

The Zambian company has since reportedly dragged Admarc to court for breach of contract, having already done so with the Zambia Cooperative Federation over similar charges.

Admarc reportedly paid about K26 billion which government borrowed from the PTA Bank for the purchase of the maize which is about K9.5 billion more than the estimated K15 billion it could have paid had it bought the maize directly from the Zambian Government.

However, both Chaponda and Mulumbe have said no money has been paid so far.

 

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66 replies on “Malawi courts suspends Minister Chaponda over maizegate”

  1. Chonde musiyeni Santana ndi bulutu otheratu ndinachezapo naye pa chonde. Amangokhalila kudya gondolos, mapira, makaka ndi nandolo. Brain yake ili ku chitendene. ndiye minga inamubayaso kuchitendene kalekale.. Ndiozelezeka chonde musalimbane naye musiyeni.

    Akalemba zake ziwani kuti ndi nzeru zakuchitendene.

  2. Tumbukas fighting a loosing game again! Kikikikikiki munya muwona. Presidential powers remain as such. Courts are not everything tamvana zimenezo a hinya inu?

  3. Now I can see that Malawi and those commenting on this site are very dull and uncivilized.
    Malawians don’t think . They are carried away by what one says. Just imagine you stop commenting on what is on the agenda you spend wasting time talking against Santana . You make him look big when he might be small . He has fooled you guys
    Malawi full of dull people including Chakwera the lier and false reverend
    Why did he stop from preaching the word of God?

  4. People, justice is not so straight and simple; like, that court does not have a final say on this. Hence the appeal, and rightly so, the government is mounting.
    Scale down the celebrations. And don’t take these issues like they are personal. What are you gonna do when the ruling is put on hold, or gets quashed. Life still goes on.
    I still maintain that a suspension of a Minister, on suspicions, belongs in the political arena; and not in the legal one. Because Courts’ are supposed to try cases based on evidence, not suspicions. This ruling, to be sure, is not helpful: the legal arguments for the suspension are dubious at best.
    Again: the Courts’ roles are in criminal and civil litigation, and not in political appropriations where criminality is not even part of the evidence.

    As for Santana: People can disagree with him, and post counter arguments about his statements about possible underlying political motives. Santana is just as blunt as some people who post equally biased and derogatory opinions about the Yao (one commentator calls them CHAWA) and aLhomwe and Southerners in general; yet there have been no protests about his/her views. Selective criticism here?
    Santana is probably a political foot soldier, and he can express his views in a democracy; as long as those views do not deviate far from comments by others’.

  6. Satana or Santana. I am a Lhomwe from Muloza Mulanje but Chaponda waonjeza. Again Mutharika is incapable and probably drunk. First, the Board did the right thing in suspending Mulumbe. Mutharika should have read the writing on the wall that if he did not push chaponda out, then he was going to be pushed by people. This is exactly what the court has done. (Phinyaminyole, khe yolha- We are labouring in vain). Not all of us Lhomwes like the picture that Chaponda is showing of Lhomwes. Secondly, if Mutharika is shielding Chaponda because Peter is himself corrupt (which I believe he is), then both of them will go. Malawians are now literate.

    Thirdly, the people who chased Chaponda at Likhubula in Mulanje, were they Tumbukas??? They were his fellow Lhomwes…..just next to his constituency. But they were fed up. How can we continue to rule this country with people like Chaponda and Mutharika?? Kokomathi (I am also fed up). Hankoni, niwheke ( Let us listen to voice of reason). Bingu was better but Chaponda and Peter Mutharika are a complete disgrace to socielty, Malawi, and us Lhomwes. Kohulhelhanithi, muhikipalhe misekuwa vhano. Amalawi, pothani mumphwanye Chapondola… I keep on telling you, do not pester me tomorrow. Malawians, chase and nail this Chaponda guy).

  7. Koma George Chaponda, nkhope kuphwanyikaphwanyika – kuyipa nkhope ndi mtima omwe. Dikila Mphwanga ukakhala Nyapala ku Maula when this notorious DPP is kicked out of Government in 3 years time!

  8. People like Satana or whatever he calls himself….. are useless and not needed in a progressive society..uyu adakulila mubanja la umbombo ufiti nsanje banja lozikonda losapemphera…..if he goes to church angosiya or alape ……he is indeed Satan in whatever he says.

  10. Also NACGATE AT MIN OF LOCAL GOVT, MERCY IS ABLE WRITING A PROPOSAL OF AN ACTIVITY WITH 20 PEOPLE ONLY TO FIND THAT ITS ONLY HER AND A FEW PEOPLE AROUND HER WHO GETS THE MONEY. AS AM WRITING SHE WAS IN BLANTYRE WITH HER TEAM DOING A SAME JOB, THE JUNIORS GOT 5NIGHTS WHILE HER AND THE OTHER THIEVES GOT 13NIGHTS. IF NAC IS READING THIS PLIZ SEND YOUR AUDITORS IMMEDIATELY

  11. Salarygate @ ministry of Local Govt, from Dec 2014 to Jan 2015. The IT, Accounts, Salaries staff including a copytypist who is a girlfriend to the it officer and a driver managed to receive triple salaries in those months. But up to date they are working freely. I don’t know if there is administrators or human resource team at the ministry. Kapena mmadyela limodzi.

  12. Kupha munthu munthu osalakwa mzimuwake umakupanga haunt nthawi zonse minyama pafupi pafupi ngati imeneyi pangani confess acha ponda zuwa lindakwere uku nkhwamba waka nayowoyapo waka ine adada

  13. Kupha munthu munthu osalakwa mzimuwake umakupanga haunt nthawi zonse minyama pafupi pafupi ngati imeneyi pangani confess acha ponda zuwa lindakwere kuku nkhwamba waka nayowoyapo waka ine adada

  14. Santana is a clueless guy, a poor thinking and evil like his dpp. The issue is about the suspension of Chaponda not Tumbukas and those tumbukas you are mentioning are full Malawian citizens than these your evil dpp leaders. Dpp is a walking devil and needs extinction. Ngati a Santana mwaiwala cardiac arrest redeemed us from similar battle, so we might be fighting a losing battle to you but another cardiac arrest is looming and lets see who is fighting a loosing battle but becareful your dpp might be the one fighting a loosing battle because GOD IS ALWAYS IN CONTROL NOT DPP

  15. Hey,guys,ngati pali mbuli yotheratu ndye ndi uyu mumati Santana,kaya ndi satana,but I believe he is a TRUE devil,ndakhala ndikuwerenga ma comment pa Nyasatimes,koma always this person called Santana amayankhula zopusa!!! Each & every story amayankhula zosiyana kwambiri,by the way am not a tumbuka,ine am from central,koma zimandinyasa zimene amayankhula zodanitsa mitundu all the time,asiye a tumbukawo wava,akupanga fight for the good of all malawians,ngati unakuuta za cashgate stop talking nonsense here,this page is for all of us to develop this rotten country called Malawi by contributing zinthu za nzeru apa not nyasi zakozo wava satanaaaa!!!!mmxiiiew!!!!

  17. This issue has nothing to do with a Region, the suspended minister seems to be very powerful
    more than the President, his name hs surfaced in many allegations, does it mean that he is above the Law
    and why is he feared in DPP?

  18. Galu wamkota sakandira pa chabe. Pakadafunda panajiwisa galu. Muvi woyang’anira suchedwa kulowa m’maso. Kauzganga ni fwiti yaye fwiti ni tilinganenge., ndaonela a Chaponda.

  19. Mukungoti boma lakuba mesa Ababa ndi amayi aja kodi muwaitane abwele adzayankhe milandu ,boma limene linaba ndalalama za anthu ndilimene president wake anathawa mudziko muno ,anthu tavutika ife ndiye wins kudzavotelanso pp or MCP muiwale sure

  20. I wonder if this man called SATANA or santana has a brain.He must be using buttocks for him to think.Lets not throw in issues of ethnicity here when tax payers money is at stake.To hell with your DPP loyalty.DPP cant rig again come 2019.God loves this country.Iwe SATANA you must be from Burundi or Rwanda (a brother of Murekezi).Leave us native Malawians alone.Shupiti zakooooo!

  21. I wonder of this man called SATANA or santana has a brain.He must be using buttocks for him to think.Lets not throw in issues of ethnicity here when tax payers money is at stake.To hell with your DPP loyalty.DPP cant rig again come 2019.God loves this country.Iwe SATANA you must be from Burundi or Rwanda (a brother of Murekezi).Leave us native Malawians alone.Shupiti zakooooo!

  22. Will Chaponda be receiving his salary despite this suspension? Or he will still having it fat in his account? If yes, who will be a loser?In another note, is Chaponda, a lawyer himself be so stupid to keep sensitive documents in his office from all that time people started suspecting him? It only shows that we have in this country many dunderheads in the name of CSOs and church leaders. Chaponda wii lose nothing in this suspension. Only that the opposition is trying very hard to find something how small it is to ease the pain of the 2014 loss.

  25. Let Santana to know that this is not about atumbuka aya. It is about Malawians regardless where we come from. Shame on santana for your comment which is full of tribalism thinking. No one is above the law ,Chaponda wakoyo ‘ wabira pa chanda msana ukuwowenaka’ kkkkkkkkkkk

  26. inuyo mutakhala ndi mwai ngat wa machine ngat chaponda simungabe? vuto lake mumaba zazing’ono mmalo osadzika, zikapezeka zidyeni a george

  27. There is one Wiseman said” politics without principles is a disaster” you must go to politics with principles

  28. Honestly, I never knew that a court of law has so much power to suspend a Minister appointed by the Head of State. As it is i also assume that the same court can appoint a Minister and if so Can the SAME court also appoint a replacement ASAP please.

  29. ndiye what is wrong for being a tumbuka? are they not Malawians? they are doing this on behalf of you chewas, ngonis, lomwes, yawos etc because iwowa they are true Malawians not you who believe in ziphuphu. sooner or later you will benefit from what the tumbukas are doing. don’t you see that our money is being swindled here? what do you want actually? nkhaniyi ithere pompa basi ? no kafukufuku?
    aaha, just keep quiet if you have nothing to offer Malawians? why do you always think of where someone is coming from? kusankhana mitundu? shame on you. southerners ndiye kuti chiyani? and you are still thinking about JB, ehee!! vuto ilo. Leave her alone.

  31. I hope the same grouping of Charles Kajoloweka, the Church and Society Program of the CCAP Livingstonia Synod, Center for the Development of People and Youth and Society will after the cashgate case, again take Kalonga who is now the state witness to court for his participation in the cash gate saga ………..though he is (state witness) helping the government now. He should pay for his wrong doings.

  32. Let us look at this whole drama very carefully: The private citizen is Charles Kajoloweka a Tumbuka. The court giving the injunction is Mzuzu a home for Tumbukas. The judge handling the matter is John Chirwa probably from the northern region. CSOs Counsel is Wesly Mwafulirwa a Tumbuka again. So everything here smells Tumbukas against Chaponda a Lhomwe.Politically these tumbukas are just fighting a losing battle. We know that the tumbukas are the most bruised in the 2014 loss by Joyce Banda. They thought they can rule Malawi behind Joyce taking advantage that the husband is from Tongaland in the north. There is nothing which can change Chaponda politically even if he is not a Minister. He won the constituency seat while in opposition meaning he was not a minister. So long the south knows that these battles happening against the DPP and its leadership are political ones emanating from central and northern Malawi in search of power of the state. Southerners will not pave even an inch for the guys in MCP to have the presidency of this country. The DPP has diehard supporters who can not be weakened by these tactics by some Tumbukas whose afflliation with PP is waning because the party is no more and the leader is hibernating in exile. Whatever the enemies will do to DPP leaders, the supporters will not swerve. It happened during the rule of Joyce Banda who tortured the party from every angle but supporters of DPP were nganganga while in opposition and they took the party into govt. What do you expect from these supporters this time when they are already ruling? The enemies can have a united voice this time but the DPP KNOWS THAT BY THE TIME 2019 approaches the voice will be no more one. The DPP is here to win the 2019 elections whatever the detractors can do.

    1. The issue is not about ethnicity, you Santana. The maize saga is a national issue. Any Malawian citizen can have a say on it. May you start looking at things positively. This kind of attitude, you have ,is retrogressive. The maize saga is not about politics. A spade is always a spade.

      1. @santana, this just shows that tumbuka are not wimps like the rest of you.. alibe matha and they are working on behalf of all malawians .. Ndikukutemwani chomeni imwe wa nganya pazomwe mwachitazi.. Viva tumbuka, pitilizani ntchito zabwino ngati zimenezi.. Tawonga chomene ise waku Blantyre

    2. For your information, I come from the southern region but your assumption is completely wrong. The entire population of Malawi is going through hardships due to the incompetence of the current administration, nothing seems to work in this nation. Should we really suffer simply because we want to please someone on the basis that he comes from our region? What is it that people from Mangochi, Machinga, Chiradzulu, Mwanza benefited from this administration for the past 3years? This time around, Malawians whether from the southern, central or northern regions will vote for a person whom they know will bring proper policies that will improve their standard of living. It is very wrong to think that every person who comes from southern region supports either DPP or UDF because the parties originate from the south, likewise not every single person from the central region supports MCP. All what we need are positive economical policies that will improve the living standard of every Malawian regardless of whether that person is Yao, Tumbuka, Lambya, Tonga, Lomwe or Chewa. Malawi is for all Malawians, not a single tribe or region.

    3. I think this SATANA is misguided. You have already slotted in ethnicity in this clear issue. When shall you stop to bootlick and handclap for everything that comes from DPP? Start using your brain properly bambo. These bunch of thieves that you support regardless of how many offenses they commit will take this country anywhere. They are a bunch of stupid failure bent only at milking our taxes.

    4. Bwana Santana and all DPP supporters and sympathisers, you guys are fooling yourselves by measuring your political potency based on last Tripartite Elections. That time, DPP campaigned on “continuing” what Bingu started and many Malawians (who voted DPP, not me) bought into the game and voted for your party. As we know now, DPP is terribly misguided and clueless. While I cannot vouch that MCP can win next elections, I can certainly vouch for poor DPP showing at the polls…DPP, open your eyes and be sober and see what is happening in this country. This blind loyalty is destroying you and the country Malawi. For once, love your country. May God who put leaders in positions be the ultimate judge

    6. Santana ndiye uti. You don’t even pay tax fisi iwe. Dr George Chaponda ndi mtumbuka? Mwabalalika basi
      After all hunger is common in the south than north. So this for own benefit. Fisi iwe.

      You better relocate because after the PP/Mphwiyo cash-gate next will be your K577bn and tractor-gate.
      Be on the run now.

    7. a SATANA kaya SANTANA ndinu opanda nzeru and i dont think you have a brain in your already empty head.You must be using buttocks to help you think.The issue is not about ethnicity here BUT tax payers money blown off and going into a few heartless individuals like Chaponda.Its not about tumbukas and the like.The gap between the rich and the poor keeps yawning because of such dubious transactions there by taking more money into the pockets of the few at the expense of my grandmother in Neno.SATANA kaya SANTANA you are an idiot with not purpose of living.You must be from Rwanda or Burundi (a brother of Murekezi).Let us native malawians enjoy our God given freedom.Thank God i dont have a gun!

  33. I hope the Attorney General as well will be suspended for siding with criminals in Malawi. eg the K577b looting. He is not ethical at all .

  35. This is the best therapeutical pills we can prescibe to poor old George in regards io geriatic dosage. Hambani a Dala.

  37. I am no lawyer but this makes common good governance sense. Chaponda must be suspended. How can there be effective investigations if the Minister still occupies the office. Let him be suspended and he can come back if it turns out that he never had a hand in this. DPP mafia govenment practices selective justice and in the process is is busy doing self-damage. The more things change, the more they look the same.

  38. That’s great. Courts wait we are also coming with an junction for Chakwera. During campaign he was given money by Joyce Banda which was cashgate Another injunction placed on Kamlepo as the report shows he benefited from cashgate money.
    There will be no stone left unturned. EYE FOR EYE. CHAKWERA READY TO PAVE WAY FOR INVESTIGATION. UKAKHALA PA NSANA WANJOVU USAMATI KUNJA KUNO KULIBE MAME. MORE FIRE TO MCP MUTHA MA CRIMINAL INU.

  39. So the head of state will read in papers that his boy has been suspended by court? Mr. Chaponda, a true democrat do not wait to be suspended but rather he resigns. If you are working for the people and are not happy with your services dont wait for angels to tell u

  40. There is more than what meet the eye. Let’s wait and see. Heavy prices will be paid. Others who are being used by politicians to weaken President Mutharika’s Government will leave to regret. Tikukuonanitu !! We know the plan which is in place.

  43. So Malawi has reached this extent where inactiveness of the so called head of state has labored the court of law to rescue the citizens. This is a shame and will go done in history of our land as blind leadership that cannot see the pain and cry of its people. I feel the leader is not seeing that the ministers are denting the image of his seat. Kamuzu era is the example where all the negative conducts by the youth were presumed to have been sanctioned by the head of state. The leadership must work up from slumber and defend Malawians.

  45. njenjenjenje! The same way I shiver and shudder when I am told by the Clinical Officer kuti mankhwala palibe mukagule! and then knowing very well that my PAYE in excess of 500,000 has been squandered by you know who!!

  48. The only way to take away Chaponda is by bullet in the head. The man is a disgrace to Malawi. Hej thinks he will remain protected nowhere. He can have the stolen money but historia life is short. NO one can survive when people get angry. Peter a headless old man is useless. I dont know why they can not impeach him. Even go on The street. Ar Malawians so afraid of death. This Muntharika does not love u. He came to get rich. If it was another country he wouldn’t have been a leader. Malawians with their peaceful minds. Its stupid.

    1. well written, government iyi yandikwana. This government think Malawi is a personal asset that they can do whatever they want…….All the President does is talk talk talk but no action……I don’t know kuti what he thinks it is to be a president and what he is required to do….shame on this government, shame….Even Joyce Banda beats him in rating (Even though Amangogawa mbzuzi and chickens the whole Malawi, atleast she was doing something.) Shame on the corrupt government, the government of thieves)

  49. This is a very good news. Please also approach the same court to persuade the auditor general to release the report on MWK577 billion.

  51. this is what organizations should be doing for their citizens not fighting rights for gay and lesbians to what end will that help us. Well done Church society and other concerned citizens.

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