Malawi govt revenue earner crushed from inside: Officers in cement-gate , illegal recruitment and politics lurk in the shadows
Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) is still hoarding decorated personnel within its ranks who orchestrated the illegal recruitment of officers busted by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and others practising active partisan politics, Nyasa Times can reveal.
In our follow-up on the matters, MRA management and board of directors clearly admitted to have grown a cold feet regarding implementing ACB’s directive about the people behind the recruitment mess at the tax collector.
Among others, the then ACB director general, Reyneck Matemba, ordered MRA management to discipline officials who replaced names of bonafide candidates who were successful in interviews with their siblings, cousins and relatives.
Briefing reporters last year, Matemba said among the fraudulent names on the list of bogus recruits included a Kapoloma, a brother to MRA director for corporate services, Steven Kapoloma.
But it has been discovered that over nine months down the line both the MRA Board and Management are yet to act on the matter in clear contravention of ACB orders.
When asked, both the tax bull’s commissioner general John Biziwick and acting director of human resource Sarah Muskambo Jere, referred the matter to Kapoloma who speaks for the government’s tax collector.
MRA board chairperson, Vizenge Kumwenda, panicked to give tangible direction and also referred the matter back to Kapoloma despite the latter being among the culprits.
When contacted, Kapoloma tried hard to hoodwink Malawians by subtly defending himself.
“The directive to employ those eligible was implemented as for disciplinary action I will have to refer to our HR for specifics,” he said referring the matter back to Muskambo Jere who had earlier told Nyasa Times that Kapoloma had all the details.
Some investigators close to the cases said: “It is foolhardy that Kapoloma is still entrusted to drive MRA’s image of instilling public confidence on matters of tax integrity yet the ACB implicated him in the disgraceful case. The questions that people are asking are that Why are there no disciplinary measures by MRA so far?”
Another added: “Why should MRA staff adhere to an integrity campaign championed by an ACB certified crook who gave an employment letter to a brother that never was anywhere near qualified to be recruited at MRA? Why must Malawians and all taxpayers entrust their taxes to an organisation that is still holding on to a publicly known corrupt individual?”
Malawians are appealing to MRA board and new management to correct the situation by applying set measures to earn back lost public trust.
They are basing this as a unique scenario of cases since all work to address the matter were made by ACB, an organisation that is entrusted to instil integrity in the public service and counter corruption.
Even though there are court proceedings about the controversial K5 billion worth of cement, purportedly imported by former Head of State Peter Mutharika as his Taxpayer Identification (TPIN) was used to clear the commodity and access duty free passage.
Nyasa Times investigations have proven that executives and senior officers involved in the cement clouded case that reeks ‘aided smuggling’ are still holding public office at the tax bull.
Commissioner customs and excise Fatch Valeta who oversaw the cement saga is now transferred to a tax investigation section.
Emerging developments at Msonkho House also indicate that former deputy commissioner general Roza Mbilizi also personally handpicked Waziona Ligomeka, a fulltime civil servant with Ministry of Finance and made him sign a contract with MRA of Director of Policy Planning and Research.
This means Ligomeka is on dual employment by Malawi government since he is still employed at the Ministry of Finance and there was no letter from MRA to the Ministry requesting for specific staff on secondment or indeed any vacancy announcing the position.
For the record, Waziona is brother to Stuart Ligomeka, who was also influential on the matter as he was the Comptroller of Statutory Corporations then.
As if that is not enough, Nyasa Times also revealed that MRA, a public institution, still has under its employ renown officers who were directly involved in partisan politics in rallies, social media and elections.
MRA regulations do not allow involvement in politics but a senior ICT Manager responsible for tax computer systems Roy Khouge, was photographed in The Nation of 25th June 2020 as an official on the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP ) desk, clad in a party ID at the tally centre in Blantyre.
Customs officers Bennet Meke and Patrice Mtilatila were posting political messages on their Facebook, donning party colours for DPP and addressing party rallies.
However, the two were just transferred to other stations without any disciplinary hearings and prescribed corrective processes.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Bizwick was illegally appointed by Chakwera to be commissioner general. Zamanyazi
When malawians wake up, they will take All that belongs to them. The soldiers and police and rebels will be one side. Malawians have suffered while institutions and individuals makes profits in billions. Why are we still paying taxes….our teachers and nurses need a salary so we oblige. But its still goes in someones pockets.
One sweet day.
The time to wake up is now.Tagona Kwa nthawi yaitali..For a start we need to start boycotting paying tax.
The Biziwick you want to solve things is also there illegally. He never applied and is also over age. It is not the board that employed him. All the decisions he makes today will be nullified by Ombudsman
The current commissioner General nearly run NBS Bank to the ground when he was appointed CEO by Mlusu who was then board chairman by virtue of being CEO of nico. After he was fired from nbs, the bank has improved quite alot.
Next mlusu appointed him to MRA top job, but the boy isn’t built for leadership hence MRA is failing again.
Inu nde john biziwick simumamudziwa, he created nbs from nothing
No need to speak in parables if you want to communicate the message easily. Just say what you want to say, no need to ask us whether we have understand you or not. Poor communication skill.
Ochakwera no OChilima, mmmh tulo tanyanyano!!
Zinazi tamapangakoni change, kutima pa nzere nkumavota ndi zinthu zowawa. Masiku amathera pa chitseko, msamayiwale yaye!
These guys will never change. When discharging their duties they think we are all thieves and yet they the thieves themselves. This government is a disgrace.
after so many trips to NEW YORK AND UK by the past regime no INVESTOR seen here in Mw. and unemployment rate is 80% sikuti anthu saifuna ncito koma basi ma style oti dad uncle cousins nieces nephews thooo in one company and mostly opanda proper papers.
oitside trips kokashopa.
tikunama???? kugula ma truck cash under PITALA s rule.
ngati panafika pozipatsa lamulo losintha ma numbet plate ”ANA A DAD” MIND YOU HE WAS ON THE WHEEL. HE KNEW ALL THIS CRAP
Guys,
We did our part to get rid of the DPP. But it is a waste of time to think that Chakwera and Chilima will clean the mess. This will not happen.
The two cant make hard decisions. Period.
The truth is this government is a toothless bulldog ( punduwulu). But who knows what MCP is planning? Do you remember how all influential public positions were held by Chewas during MCP? They could be sliding towards that. Right now MCP is busy secretly replacing people in boards of statutory corporations with Chewas.
factless article full of hearsays and emotive allegations. Watumidwa eti?
Paja ujayu ndi m’bale wako eti? Uja akugawa ziphatso uja.
Excuse me please, I just want to report that in a bar on one end and I have overhead a lady telling a man man on that other end, even with amapiano sound cracking the airwaves, saying ‘ndikufuna ndikachotse norplant,…iwe wamvaaa? Ndikufuna ndikachotse norplant’. I think the man is ‘happily’ married elsewhere otherwise why would they not talk this one over midnight meal? Kaya mwandimva kaya?
MRA was one of the first Organisations to get a new board, a high powered one for that matter, soon after the Tonse Alliance government but it appears this board was merely for show if the story being told here is anything to go by. Why is it failing, or delaying, to Magufulisise the rot, despite the goodwill by the citizenry?
Good question, very nice observation. But please forget Magufuli, make/uphold your own name!
kkkkkkkkkkk ayo mmimba mwanga. mabwana aumbanda oti ukatumiza CV yako imajudulidwa nda anyamata odziwa fotoshop kuikapo maina a ma niece khazens monga taonelamu iwe kumangofota kukhalila building castles in the air kulingalila kuti koma atangondilemba- salary yoyamba ndigula ici
yaciwili ico potha mezi 6 at least malata 6 ntagula. komatu nta.
mabwana kudziwa kuwazembaitsa a malawi. akamaenda mmagalimoto opuma kumawaona ndi kuwadutsa a malawi ngati nda a tsekwe onunkha zitosi.
ACB musangotitenthetsa mabwanawo afwanthakuleni
Kuli Helen Buluma kwinaku. Chakwera said openly that she is a dpp operative. People are sleeping on the their jobs. All the water boards have people who came without interviews. We have escom, egenco, etc. We still have the Duwas, Nsuliras, Mwanyulas etc in embassies.
Since this government took over there is complete mess in the way people are being hired. Bizwick himself is a beneficiary of such stupidity and therefore he can not do anything on his fellow criminals.
More worse things are happening in the main civil service where in this day and age somebody has been given a post of director yet his only qualification is a mere MCE and a certificate from Sanwecka. How stupid it will be for people with degrees to be headed by somebody with MCE. education with this government is no longer important but connections.
Kunena zoona Malawi is in trouble because of poor leadership style emulated from Tembo cronies and off course Kamuzuism. I am a man from central region but have reservations on these appointments which His Excellency has done with much ado. I feel so betrayed as a chewa and wish otherwise . Watch out and take care we are ware of your schemes.2025 will tell you. Amen.
We all knew who Tonse Alliance targeted – Asena. They are happy they did away with Roza Mbilizi and Michael Ndaferankhande. Waziona Ligomeka is from Ntcheu where the VP hails from and therefore he is untouchable.
Mulandu sukomera chipanda chamowa. Chilungamo chioneka apa? Ali pankhate kapena eti?
This is Malawi for you, dishonesty, incompetence, gossip, jealous is order of the day in institutions, companies, families, church, mosque.
Every successful asian company in malawi all its top management and accounts team are from india: Reason: Malawians go to work to steal first and work only after you give them a bribe.
Malawians very dishonest Top manager mpaka guard.
Lol. This is not funny.
The problem with us is we look at these issues from a UTM, DPP, MCP perspective when the truth is that these people are brothers in crime. That is the simple reason they’re unable to catch and prosecute each other’s. Malawians need to wake up, we are being played.
this is very unfortunate, its like the mra board is asleep, or playing dead. change will remain a dream if we still hold on to people who failed us. unfortunately all blame will be shaded on Dr. Chakwera.
Sure. Lets all the people do our part please.
SAVING HELP WE NEED TO KNOW. AZISAZA
tiziwoseni zose . unearth it all please and let us see the SAVONG HELP.
After that list of candidates mcp replaced with its own people and also did not follow recommendations by the ACB. It’s a rotten system