PP calls for Goodall resignation: Malawi Finance Ministers accused of ‘lying’

The opposition Peoples Party (PP) has demanded Minister of Finance Goodall Gondwe to resign for misleading the nation on recent salary hike for President, Parliamentarians and cabinet ministers.

Over the weekend Gondwe and other government agents were forced to clarify and justify the pay hike amid economic crisis, and President Peter Mutharika and his vice, Saulos Chilima’s decision to defer their pay rise.

PP Publicity Secretary Ken Msonda told Nyasa Times Gondwe has failed nation and the President for claiming that former president Joyce Banda was the one who proposed the salary hikes.

“We are calling for the immediate resignation of Hon Goodall Gondwe for misleading the nation that the recent DPP salary hikes for State President, his Vice President, Ministers and Members of Parliament was proposed by Dr. Joyce Banda during the Peoples Party led administration,” said Msonda.

Msonda added: “We are extremely disappointed that the man we highly respected has turned into such a liar. From these lies which Hon Goodall Gondwe is saying it is clear that he is the one misleading the State President.”

He said it was not true that Banda ever discussed salary increments for the State President, Vice President, Ministers and Members of Parliament.

His argument hinges on what Banda and her vice Khumbo Kachale made while in power by donating 30% of their salary to charity.

Msonda said  Gondwe is now challenging that government is collecting more money to pay the increased salaries then there should be pay hike to all other government institutions demanding salary adjustments; ACB, Judicially, Teachers, the University Support Staff and Students as well as the Healthy sector.

“Otherwise if government is not able to pay these people,  we call upon the immediate resignation of Hon Goodall Gondwe,” added Msonda.

According to Msonda, Gondwe must step down because under his administration Malawi economy is failing to tick.

“He is failing to find solutions to a litany of strikes currently underway at the judiciary, University of Malawi and ACB. He must resign and stop peddling lies about Joyce Banda,” he told Nyasa Times.

On Monday, Gondwe re-iterated that tough economic tides had forced Mutharika not to affect the hike saying that, after all, the hike was the former government’s master plan.