Malawi First Lady charity forced K6m from ministries for launch

Malawi’s First Lady Gertrude Mutharika, who is currently embroiled in a scandal involving K5 million which she collected from the country’s National Aids Commission (NAC) for her charity Beautify Malawi trust (BEAM) ,is said to have also bulldozed government ministries to cough K300,000 each to support the launch of her organisation.

First Lady bombarded ministries to demand for money
First Lady bombarded ministries to demand for money

Nyasa Times investigations revealed that apart from NAC, BEAM collected almost K6 million from different ministries through the letters which were sent to all the ministers including their deputies.

“During the launch, every ministry was asked to pay K300,000 and they all paid, actually some ministries which have offices for deputy ministers paid a total of K600,000,” disclosed one source who is an accountant at one of the ministries.

He added: “I can say we were ordered at gunpoint to release the money to support the launch because after writing us letters, there was several follow ups that made it difficult for us to turn down the demand.”

Mrs Mutharika recently admitted that her charity got K5 million from NAC although she was quick to deny that she bulldozed her way to get the money.

NAC is a government institution that is mandated to fight HIV and Aids and is funded by the Global Fund on the Fight Against HIV and Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria while BEAM was set up to champion cleanliness, sanitation and environmental health in the country.

In an interview, Mutharika insisted that there was nothing sinister in how the funds were obtained.

Mrs Mutharika’s admission came after Weekend Nation reported two weeks ago that BEAM and Mulhakho wa Alhomwe, a tribal grouping that President Arthur Peter Mutharika belongs to as well as the country’s NationalIntelligence Bureau (NIB) drew a total of K57.4 million from NAC.

“It was a standard letter which went out to a number of organizations and institutions including NAC, to help with the launch of BEAM. We did not force anyone to give out any money. The organisations gave out the money out of their free will,” said Mrs Mutharika when defending her widely criticised action.

According to the First Lady, she did not use state machinery as others are alleging explaining that not every organisation that was approached to assist managed to do so.

Some civil society organisations have since piled pressure on BEAM and the two institutions to give back the money which they are saying was given to wrong institutions that have nothing to do with the fight against HIV and AIDS.

Reports have indicated that Mulhakho wa Alhomwe drew K9.4 million, NIB K43 million while BEAM drew the K5 million.

Meanwhile , the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and Aids (UNAids) has also warned against the misuse of HIV and Aids resources a position that would put Malawi at a risk of losing its Global Fund resources.

During the World Aids Day commemoration on Monday, UNAids expressed worry over government’s use of HIV and Aids resources and has since urged the government to urgently address the problem or face the appropriate action.

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Eliam k
Eliam k
9 years ago

Tisamale chonde ngozi tu imeneyi

thomthom
thomthom
9 years ago

This is not a tumbuka issue, its an issue of BEAMgate. Malawian people please learn to analise issues as they are, not just commiting fallacies. I for one, i do not see any problem, provided the organizations and some ministries did that at their own free will. It was just an appeal or requestfrom MAMA to ask well wishers who cud manage to assist, and they did. No lame excuses.

yours
yours
9 years ago

remember to remember that we are all malawians and to have no funds from other countrie it will affect us all no body will be left behind.put down all politicts which i forcing you to un dress your own parents you think you are wise.is not cleaning the surrounings one of the control measure of malaria?
you will be answerable and responsible to every word from your mouth.
The same spirit has put our friends in great pain then we are applying the same.
i hope you will all come to remember to remember

pdf
pdf
9 years ago

Tamuwoneni mayi ali ndi Getrude akuwoneka kuti wavula miyendo yonse ilipanja, is she Beautifying Malawi pakuvula? You mean anthu akulipidwa ndalama zakubazi kuti azivula? Chonde mayiyo azivala bwino kuno ndi ku Malawi mayi amavala mwaulemu, ngati mmene amavalira mayi Muthalika.

samson
samson
9 years ago

U voted for them so let them enjoy.kupusa a Malawi inu kovotelanso Mutalikas .

chingolopiyo
chingolopiyo
9 years ago

How can the First Lady bulldoze ministries to cough money to her organisation Hudson? Stop being a hypocrite in your journalism? We are tired of reading hate stories because we come from bwengu bwengu and other comes from yakwe yakwe. After all Malawi should have profit making business than charities which are full of people who want to harvest from allowances. Every jim and jack wants to form a charity nor to run a business. Shame on us , the country will remain a ghost land, for the people always believe in the use of abusive language than development language.We… Read more »

Thyolo Thava
Thyolo Thava
9 years ago

Cashgate in making

Thyolo Thava
Thyolo Thava
9 years ago

Atafa Pitalayu ndalama zimenezo adzagawana. Kumbukirani kumene kunapita dola za Silver Gray foundation, University of Southen Africa zokwana K1,000,000,000.00 Zinasanduka will ya Bingu akanganyawa mkugawana

Ngodya zinayi
9 years ago

Judicialy,this z what u wanted so don’t go on strike coz u voted 4 all malawians.God will punish all involved secretly

Mhango
9 years ago

Atumbuka tsopana trying ti brainwash Malawians after seeing that the Federal System of Government wont pass. They did the same with the quota system issue. Mtundu uwu kundinyasa bad.

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