Mkaka now among top cash-rich Malawi ministers: Admits purchase of K45m Merc’ Benz car, justifies not moving into govt house
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Eisenhower Mkaka is reported to have amassed more wealth and is amongst top richest ministers in the cabinet of President Lazarus Chakwera giving him more political stamina to hold the balance of power as he has declined to move into official ministerial house whereby now he receives monthly rentals from government at a “lower rate” for staying in his personal “clean” house.
Mkaka took trouble to prove his innocence and clear his name over queries about his sudden wealth that he bought a Mercedes Benz days after he was appointed Cabinet minister.
He admitted to have bought a top of the range Benz at nearly K45 million from United Kingdom, the second motor vehicle to be purchased by the minister since getting in power in June, according to Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA).
The minister declined to have been in any wrongful self-enrichment challenged those with evidence to report him to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) or Malawi Police.
“I am not corrupt and never will be, and I want to assure all Malawians of goodwill that I will never let them down in any way.
“It is true that I have bought a Mercedes Benz, but it is not brand new, it is second hand. I bought it for GBP45,000, which roughly translates to K45 million (all costs inclusive), and not K72 million as alleged,” he claims.
According to Mkaka, the vehicle was ordered on 5 July, three days before he was hired as Cabinet Minister and on 14 July, he wrote the tax collecting body MRA to ask for duty-free clearance.
The vehicle is among items and all assets he declared to the Office of the Director of Public Officers’ Declarations.
Mkaka, who is also the Secretary General for Malawi Congress Party (MCP), said apart from the compensation he got from First Capital Bank after winning a court case against the bank, he has several sources of income which enabled him to afford this car.
He further disclosed that his 345 square meter house sitting on Plot number 47/1/320 was constructed in 2010 while working at the First Capital Bank, formerly First Merchant Bank and at the time, it was estimated the house would cost US$300, 000 to construct.
“I have not moved into official ministerial house by choice and government is paying me rental; of course, at a rate much lower than that government pays if they rent a house on their own.
“It is a clean house built much way before I started politics,” said Mkaka.
He therefore described the allegations as unfounded and fabricated to furnish his image.
Mkaka wrote on his official Facebook page to deny that he is corrupt.
He therefore urged people to stop spreading lies, observing it was high time people started using the Access to Information Act to establish the truth on any matter than just peddling lies and damaging allegations.
Recently, Member of Parliament for Mzimba North Yeremiya Chihana (Alliance for Democracy-Aford) made allegations that some officials in the President Chakwera administration were corrupt, receiving money from some Malawian businesspersons of Asian descent.
He was stampeded by MCP legislators to sweep the matter under the carpet.
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Am calling demostration in December
This government is full of nyenkhwe
All Japanese car importers we must meet.
We are buying cars in Japan at less than mwk 1000,000
But ending up paying this nyenkhwe government times 3
Why.
Disgusting greed.yet such people claim to know God. Nyasi Zeni zeni
Thus why in Malawi tili ndi anthu osauka kwambili komaso olemera kwambili just think of some one who don’t have anything paying the Tax for buying only ka soap ka U-fresh but someone who is a Millionare buying a MK45,000,000 Car with a duty free kuti ziveke bwanji think about it guys.
So, if a rich man buying a luxury car at K45m is being allowed not to pay tax, why should a poor man like me pay tax? My fellow Malawians, why are we allowing this to happen in the name of benefits for MPs or whosoever? What benefit do we really get from these MPs that they should be allowed to buy luxuries tax free?
I think there is no issue here. People are just raising issues for the sake of it! This is clearly financed from resources earned before he became a Minister. Otherwise we are saying Ministers by default are supossed to be paupers, which is totally unrealistic.
Were did he get the K 45 Million Kwacha from if it is His Personal income or he has been Funded by Govt or FDH Bank and if he has Earned that Money What is the Source of His Income has he paid MRA Taxes on the Same
As Most of the Politicians do Not pay Taxes on there Disclosed Income and Estate which they Hold
Sure? £45,000 without paying tax? Poor man feel it. The poor man is paying duty and excise. The Mercedes Benz with chassis WDD222 is an S-class and almost new. I don’t blame Mkaka for this but the system that favours the rich. This is discrimination. Just last month Donald Trump was attacked for not paying tax. These MPs get loans from our taxes and don’t pay tax in form of duty and excise. This must be reversed through protests. We don’t force anyone to become an MP. It is their choice and must pay taxes. All of the taxes.
The people who get to decide the benefits MPs get are .. the MPs!
Sadly, they will never vote to reduce their benefits.
It’s like you yourself deciding to starve yourself.
No ethics when it comes to money.
Our MPs are not there to serve the interests of us but themselves. We need to know how much we are spending on these useless noise makers.
Paja amapatsana ngongole zonenepa anthu awa.
ADDP ANANYOZEDWA POMWE ANKAWANENA KUTI MISEU YOMWE AKUMANGA NDIYOSALIMBA. NANGA LERO ANGELO ALOWA M’BOMA WHAT HAS CHANGED? KU MCHESI PANKHADZE, MSEU WOPITITA KU 23 VIA KAWALE, MSEU WATHA, DZIGAMBA EVERYWHERE.NOW A MIA NDI ANZAO AKUYIKA ZIGAMBA USING DITHI, YES SOIL.KODI MMENE MVULA YAYAMBAMU, ZITITHANDIZA? KOMA MA SO CALLED POLITICAL SCIENTITS KULI ZII BANZI IKUKOMA ZAMANYAZIIIIIIIIIIIIIII
dziko lokondera,izi DANIEL MAWAWA PA ZODIAK SINKHANI, KOMA ANAKAKHALA KUTI NDI WA DPP, BWENZI ILI HEADLINE MPAKA MUNKHANI YATHU MSABATA INO ZAMANYAZI A GOSPEL,BANZI YAKOMA. A GEORGE STOOGE KASAKULA, TAKAMBANI IZI NDI AMVULA OMWE HE HAS SANK LOW TAKAMBA PAKWAGWANJI.A ACB ,KODI IYI SINKHANI KOMA A DPP OKHAOKHA? AMATEMBA, KUNO NDIKUNJA, KUNALITU KAMUZU BANDA, MKANGO KOMA UNAGWA KOMANSO MULI NDI ANA OSAYIWALA.KUYENDA MKUVINA
This reminds me of a book which politicians hate. “Animal Farm” by George Orwell. At the beginning of the revolution it says “All Animals are Equal”. The pigs who were the leaders started changing the commandments. Later the pigs were saying “All Animals are Equal, but Some Animals are more Equal than others”. In this case you will see that MPs behave like pigs when it comes to privileges. Most of you will agree with me the hussles we face when we import cars. MRA hate it and they uplift the prices of vehicles without proper reasons. A second hand vehicle can fetch any price depending on how it was used. There are things like mileage. The constitution says we are equal before the law. Why are MPs given duty free status for two vehicles? What for? Do they not get paid from the same tax? Do they not get allowances from the same tax? Do they not get medical treatment from the same tax? We must fight MRA cruelty at the borders and we must fight what MPs do by evading duty?
You are very on point. If they are people who are more able to pay tax, are politicians themselves but alas, the opposite is true.
I agree with you
Let us have a demonstration
Mkaka apwetekana ndi UTM uyu. Ife pheee ku ma stand. UTM is fighting back. Tiziwona.
Tichira ife ma cadet.
Ndalama zohongedwa from amwenye for deals. Mumakanika kugula muli ku opposition
Probably a silly question but why would you claim rentals from the govt when you are staying in your own house. The benefit is being misused here. Are there no ethical guidelines for this?
That’s normal. A lot of companies or people do it. You can choose to stay in your house and get your allocated house allowance ( not to the value of your house). Nothing wrong there.
Nkaka, Chimwendo and Mia are the names of ministers being discussed by Indians at Mosques as the one collected bribes for protection. Mark my words no Indians will be tried and convicted.
But that’s not alot of money unless the writer of this article is less informed of how vehicles are costing
£45,000 is not little change my friend!
But that’s his money and not yours. You can’t decide for someone what to buy with his money u jealousy people
No one’s jealous,45000.00 pounds is a lot of money in any currency,in England it’s two or three years pay, here in Malawi the chances are majority will never see that sort of money in their lifetime,unless you have been running a well established business over donkeys years ,maybe to those who do “ business “ with government the money might seem very little or to those who get kickbacks or our politicians who overnight become big boys without any business entity according to one SKC,classic example being big wigs from the previous regime amassed enormous amount of wealth.no one’s jealous,people are just inquisitive,majority toil away for years,their returns are minimal,while politicians within days in government start buying houses in upmarket areas and overseas,cars etc,maybe these folks should give us mere mortals tips on how to make money,as out there in the real world to make 45000.00 pounds is hard.
Dziko lokondera people who are earning more money as parliamentarians, ministers, presidents,etc they buy cars duty free and yet somebody a poor malawian striving for ends meet he buys his Passo duty free phwi pamenepa kodi nkutero moyowu? Sheee koma inu abale kodi mukuti nchiyani ichi? Ine i want consitutitional review basi chifukwa uku nkulangana poyerayera ndithu it’s not on!!!!!
The Minister is being accountable on his wealth accumulation, lets hope it will continue. Mukufuna aziyendela Sienta kapena Mira? Go ahead bwana Mkaka u deserve to drive a Benz, just remember when you get corrupt muzapita ngati DPP a Malawi anachangumuka.
Nsanje basi ndi yomwe yakula panyasaland pano usayelekeze kugula ka Mira umva kuti ameneyo nanunso yambani zanu apo biii ma bp sakuchokani. Ndisagule Merc, Ndisankhale ku Area 43, ndisalowe mu shoprite, shaaaa! yambani zanu
Pogula zinthu duty free sinkugwirizana nazo…
Mercedes Benz at £45,000 can not and will never be top of the range. That’s more like bottom of the range even for a second hand.
Ambuye ndikumalawi kuno. Anthu kuwauza kuti a top range Merc cost as much as a $4,000,000.00 atha kuwona ngati ukunama. Roy-Royce Sweptail cost as much as $13,000,000.00. The problem here in Malawi is that journalism is studied by half intelligent people unlike in other countries like UK or USA. An intelligent journalist would have dug deeper to find out the source of the money because buying a car on its own is not a crime. We have an article which does not give the readers any insight regarding how Mkaka financed the purchase of this car. Malawi surely deserves better than this.
Be very careful when you comment. Anywhere in the world £45,000 is no small change! Check the cost of a Bugatti and other expensive cars! And it’s a Rolls Royce. You may need to check the cost again. [ I am sure we all can afford Chombe Tea! Good luck]
Ndiwe galu kwabasi Chisale. Where are you getting these million dollar costs for cars? Even anthu olemera take years to repay 30k+ car debt
No one cares if it was second hand, new, 40 million or 70 million.
He may have purchased it with his hard-earned money in his previous career. No issues.
It’s the timing of these purchases that raises questions for the taxpayers who are paying the salaries of these ‘public servants’.
Did he not have any decent cars before he became Minister if he was a successful banker??
Why soon after getting a government position?
Is he expecting more riches on the way??
Why do MPs or Ministers get duty-free cars anyway???
As public servants with good salaries from the taxpayer pocket, they should be paying their share of taxes to develop our country.
Don’t all these politicians talk about ‘development’??
Pay taxes! It will develop the country.
That is also the slogan of MRA
Walk the talk politicians!
lets think of this tax again..now you see how people get rich..kenako as an MP he will get a loan of 50 metre..when a civil servant even after 20 years sangathe kukongola 2 metre…our country malawi. mkaka..bad timing..tell us how much is low rate….then we can calculate. HRDC mulipo?
Just know that Malawians have their eyes on you