Parliament says Malawi govt duly approved purchase of K300m cars
Parliament says government duly approved the purchase of the K300 million vehicles for Speaker Richard Msowoya and leader of opposition Lazarus Chakwera and were bought last year.
This parries away media reports that they were bought this year when the economic situation has worsened.
Leonard Mengezi, parliament’s public relations officer says the vehicles were bought because the former speaker Henry Chimunthu Banda, his two deputy speakers and leader of opposition in parliament, John Tembo bought off the official vehicles they were using with government approval.
“Parliament was hiring vehicles at very high costs for these office bearers because there were no vehicles for use. Procurement and ordering was done in 2014 with all approvals from government,” said Mengezi.
Mengezi said there was no ban for purchase of vehicles at the time.
He said vehicles for deputy speakers Clement Chiwaya and Esther Mcheka Chilenje were delivered in October last year whilst those of Chakwera and Msowoya were delivered in January this year.
‘It is the same government that approved the purchase of the said vehicles; it is surprising that government is now blaming Parliament,” wondered Mengezi.
He then disclosed that the vehicles were already included in the National Assembly’s budget, and that are part of the Speaker, his deputies and the Leader of Opposition’s Conditions of Service.
”The Speaker and his deputies and the Leader of Opposition have Conditions of Service, which were approved by the President. Those Conditions of Service provide for the purchase of vehicles”.
He said the vehicles are similar to all other government cars and that Parliament followed all the procedures in acquiring the said fleet, saying such decisions are not made by the Speaker but Parliamentary Services Commssion.
Some people commenting on social-media argue that government is using the year old story to discredit and silence Chakwera and the MCP who have ganged up with civil society groups to press Peter Mutharika cut down on his foreign trips, stop chartering presidential jets and reduce his entourage when going abroad as cost cutting measures in this hostile economic situation.
Chakwera is MCP president whilst Msowoya is deputy president in the party.—Additional reporting by Maurice Nkawihe, Nyasa Times
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THOSE OF YOU AGAINST THE PURCHASE OF 4 VEHICLES AT PARLIAMENT ARE TOTALLY IGNORANT OF THE MATTER. ALL THREE ARMS OF GOVERNMENT INCLUDING THE PRESIDENCY- THE PRESIDENT, VP HAVE NEW CARS BOUGHT SINCE THE NEW GOV. CAME INTO POWER IN 2014. SO WHAT IS THE ISSUE HERE? GO AND CHECK ALL THE DETAILS SHAME, SHAME WITH YOUR MBC DPP RADIO/ TV for compromising your ethics.
CARS F
Nkhani yiyiy ndiyochititsa manyazi kwambiri and i hope MBC ikumva zimenezi . Vuto ndiloti a DPP ndi mbiyewawo akuchita ndale using poor guys at MBC just to divert our attention. Go to institutions like NRWB according to ma procedures awo agulirana magalimoto anthu atatu the three management guys worthy ma ma million of kwacha yet ma fortuner amene amayendera akadali abwinobwino ndipo iwo angosiyira azikazi awo ena asiyira zibwenzi zawo. in ESCOM its the same mukapita ku TNM or Airetll its the same. Now a DPP or MBC tell us mumafuna Speaker atenge galimoto yanji yet he is at par… Read more »
Political gimmicks @ its best. Its govt approval, sang angozpangila, they followed procedures, naonso ndalama amangogailidwa ndi boma lomwero so who z foolish who?
very interesting a Chakwela inu a secretary anu a mcp akulipilidwa nyumba ku area 10 ndi boma pomwe amuna awo nyumba ingodyedwa ndi chiswe ku salima barracks . Ndithu munapempha kwa wamkulu wankhondo kuti a secretary anu a mary apasidwe nyumba osafuna kutenga ndalama za MCP kuti muwalipilire nyumba. Pachaka boma likulipila ma million ambiri kulipilira nyumba ma officer aku salima omwe amakana kukakhala kunyumba zaku salima. kodi mmene mumalowa ntchito imeneyi simumaziwa kuti muzikakhala malo ngati Garizon or Salima. Dwellings houses in salima are full of mileme chifukwa chosowa anthu okhalamo. Akuluakulu a nkhondo chonde chitani manyazi, ma real… Read more »
ochakwera ndi okonda dola bad….moti ndalama za mbale ku church sizankakwanira ndiye pano akutafuna ndalama dziko
Ndavetsano. Honourable Chimunthu Banda Ndi OBaba JZU Tembo Anagula Magalimoto Omkagwiritsa Tchito. Andinso Mukuti O Chiwaya Ndi Mcheka Chilenje Galimoto Zawo Zinafika Last Year October Mwakachetecheta. Ndiye Lero Ena Galimoto Zawo Zafika Pano. Inu A mbc mwapeza zolankhula? Umunthu Mulinao Koma? Sizikufunikanso Civic Education Izi. Common Sence Basi. Mwagwanayo. 2019 MCP Ikulamuli basi. I Voted For U, But 2019 MCP basi!!! makape.
I am glad that party zealots from both sides are trying to give explanations for the goofs they have each made or are perceived to have made. But I must say that if there is a loser here it is the speaker and his brethren who have acquired the vehicles; I say this because in the current political climate, the loud voices i.e govt and the opposition (specifically MCP and PP) have acquired characteristics which have slowly become what the public perceives each side to be. So MCP is seen as “the austerity boys fighting for the poor Malawian against… Read more »
Total rubbish on part of government mwasowa chochita
Our honourable ministers in government also get Prados, same amount as the ones bought for Speaker, deputies and leader of opposition, on top of that they also get mercedes benz vehicles. Ntchifukwa ninji mukulimbana ndi anthu ochepawa, pomwe anthu amu cabinet amasakaza ndalama zankhaninkhani zoposa anthu ochepa aku Parliament wa?
kkkkkkk government put your house in order what was the essence of bringing this 2014 story to the nation …we all know problems in the health sector at present why don’t you concentrate on stopping the rot shame on you