Nankhumwa justifies his mind boggling wealth:  Malawi cash-rich minister explains his multimillion donations, financial sources

Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Kondwani Nankhumwa has revised down the value of the donation of an ambulance, 300 bicycles and two motorbikes he made to his Mulanje central constituency from K33 million to K14 million after  unnamed people reported him to Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to probe him.

When he made the donation recently, Nankhumwa  said  it was worth K23 million  but  observer say the figure  could be around K40 million including the cash handouts.

Nankhuma has  given Nyasa Times documents that include receipets that put the value of the donation at K14, 750,200.00.

According to the documents, the ambulance was bought from United Kingdom as a second-hand vehicle valued at 2,700 pounds (K2.7 million), two motorcycles were bought from Shai Investment Company in Lilongwe at K850, 000.00 each while the 300 bicycles were bought from Farmers World at K34,500 each (totaling to K10,350,000.00).

Nankhumwa descried that he has been reported to ACB, dsaying the whole issue is political and pledged to corporate with the Bureau.

“I am not shaken; I have documentation of all the transactions concerning the purchase of those donated items,” said Nankhumwa in an interview.

Quizzed on the source of funds for the donation, the minister said he used personal money generated from some of his personal businesses to buy the donated items.

“I have three maize mills in Mulanje; I have a radio station that generates a lot of revenue among other businesses. And mind you I have been a Parliamentarian since 2009 and I have been serving some of my income. Let those interested and in authority investigate me, if at all I wrongly acquired my money,” explained Nankhumwa.

While refusing to speak more on the issue, Nankhumwa wondered why other politicians have not been questioned about the source of their money when they donate items valued in millions of Kwachas in their respective constituencies.

“We have seen ministers or Parliamentarians giving out millions of cash of their personal money in football bonanzas and other charity activities and nobody speaks. I would rather remain silent and be vindicated by those that are in authority to do so.

“There are people who know me as former Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) employee with nothing to show for. But people forget that in life we pass through stages, we cannot go through same stages, unless we accept to be so. We must learn to accept realities this life offers.”

ACB Director General, Lucas Kondowe confirmed to the media receiving a complaint against Nankhumwa but refused to comment more on the issue, arguing it will be premature to discuss the complaint before through investigations.

Critics have labeled Nankhumwa as amongst top five richest ministers in the cabinet of President Peter Mutharika who amassed more wealth in the last two years, giving him more political stamina to hold the balance of power and fend off challengers including former legislator in the constituency Brown Mpinganjira who is now growing cold feet to attempt a challenge.

Malawians took  to social media to ridicule the cash-rich minister after his “obscene display of wealth”.

“Tales of abrupt opulence,” wrote one Favour Munyapa on Facebook.

Malawi is reeling from a mass corruption scandal christened as Cashgate which London based auditors  RSM (formerly Baker Tilly) revealed about K13 billion was lost from 2012.

About K236 billion was lost from 2005.

And Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, George Chaponda, is facing investigations on the purchase of maize from Zambia which is suspected to have corruption election.

Chaponda said his involvement was minimal and denied wrongdoing in the matter.