‘Malawi govt on autopilot’: Publication urges probe on pesticide scandal and all corruption reports
A leading Malawi daily newspaper has called for government to investigate reports that 20 metric tonnes (MT) of expired pesticides – meant me to be destroyed – were stolen from the Smallholder Farmers Fertiliser Revolving Fund of Malawi (SFFRFM) warehouse and have now flooded the market where unsuspecting framers are buying.
In a report published by The Nation on Friday, the pesticides namely Super Guard Dust and Skana Super, went missing at SFFRF warehouse as they were waiting to be transported to Uganda to be destroyed.
According Pesticide Control Board acting registrar Misheck Soko the pesticide Super Guard Dust expired three years ago while Skana Super expired 10 years ago. He said government discovered the missing of the pesticides a couple of months ago.
In its editorial comment, the paper stated that Malawi’s food security in the 2018/19 growing season will be be “significantly” affected considering that the pesticides have lost potency to protect crops from weevils, but they can also put lives of people at risk.
“This incident is, however, not surprising with increasing cases of corruption, fraud and theft reported in government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs),” the editorial comment reads in part.
The publication said the expired pesticide scandal in not unexpected, saying the lot in government could be bigger and depper than what is reported in the media.
“What is disheartening, though , is the apparent lack of political will on the part [of] government to decisively deal with institutions,” noted the paper.
It said despite media reports, no one has in recent times been arrested or prosecuted for theft or for flouting procedures in the public service.
“If government has the welfare of the people at heart, as it claims to, it should investigate all these scandals and prosecute those involved.
“Otherwise, cases of theft and corruption will continue to erode confidence people and donors have in State machinery and systems. A stich in time saves nine,” the paper said.
In the report, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Grey Nyandule Phiri played down the impact of the presence of the expired pesticides on the market, saying it would only affect individual farmers at household level.
However, a Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment, says the expired pesticides have far-reaching consequences on the environment as they contaminate water and possibly affect aquatic life and the ecosystem in general.
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Pa Malawi chilichonse anthu kuowetsapo Ndala sitizatukuka. Ife amene tili mu diaspora tikuona anzathu ali busy kugwira ntchito making money for their daily upkeep issue ya politics imabwera. nthawi ya ma election basi. Kwathuko anthu amayamba kukangana immediately after election mpaka kukafika kumapeto a five years. No positive contribution but negative reporting ngati tikuona apazi.
All the economic fundamentals are saying the country is under control, media more especially George Kasakula are fake news media peddling vitrol. We are winding people ensuring that they dont take advantage of such opportunities. Peter Mutharika will not be around the next 50 years, but most of you and the negative mind seeds you are busy sowing you will be around to reap your poverty.
FAKE NEWS!! If it were on autopilot why then the exchange rate is stable? Why and how the fuel price has been stable that did not trigger prices for commodities to sky-rocket? Why inflation is below 10%? Why and how many infrastructures are being constructed. Is it by chance like what evolutionists claim? Fake news and useless Malawian journalisms.
Nyandule talking like a mulako buffoon. Not surprised as he is limited in knowledge!
I can’t connect the story of expired pesticides and Malawi government being on autopilot. I believe that the stolen expired pesticides is a lapse of an institution to look after itself. The institution responsible for the custody of the pesticides is the one to explain what happened and for sure there must be somebody who was responsible for the place or room where they were kept. The weakness we have is to blame somebody who is not even responsible for the day to day running of the institution. In future lets take to task responsible duty bearers of the institutions… Read more »
My friend, when the leadership does not discipline the subordinates, this is the end result. The PS is in the government and above him/her is the minister who reports to the president. You have indicated of taking to task the person responsible, who should take to task that person? Is it the public or the writer of this story? It is the government to protect the citizens of Malawi from the risks emanating from the use of the expired drugs.
The institution that handles this is under government ,so because of poor monitoring and evaluation by the responsible government departments or sections,these institutions clueless on what exactly to do,they dont have direction because the problem is coming from above and crippling their functions as well.Thats where autopilot in because,no one seems to be in control,we just dont know where we going.
Umbuli. You can’t think outside the box that’s why you can’t connect the dots. The government is supposed to enforce regulations on selling expired products but since they are busy stealing taxpayers money, they have no time enforcing those laws and regulations.
How can a seasoned PS give such an answer about expired pesticides? He is answering like a politician and not a technocrat.. Shame
Is this correct info on the years of the expired pesticides? Therefore the pesticides were purchased and brought into the country already expired.
The issue here is indeed due to the carelessness of the controlling officer. For once arrest him immediately.