State Capture: Gani wedding in military theme, Malawi army band in streets

A Blantyre-based and politically connected wealthy Gani family on Sunday had  one  of their daughters wed in a military theme when Malawi Defence Force band performed in the streets of  Blantyre  with  onlookers taking photos and giving  warm applause as the newlyweds passed through  security officers  salute parade.

Gani wedding in military theme
Malawi Defence Foerce band performed in the streets for Gani wedding

There have been a series of corruption scandals and allegations of so-called state capture by Gani family with the food supplying deal the MDF have with their  Hotel Victoria and Kanjedza Lodge has been faulted for being riddled with corruption.

Gani family have the multibillion kwacha contract with the MDF where it supplies food to soldiers at Cobbe Barracks, Changalume Barracks, Air Wing Zomba base, Blantyre Camp and Mafco in Salima.

The contract dates back to the late president Bingu Mutharika’s reign, and the Ganis, according to sources within and outside MDF, have been playing good to the governing political parties to keep the contract running, regardless of serious poor services the soldiers complain about.

One soldier, who spoke on conditions of anonymity,  said the Hotel Victoria and Kanjedza Lodge services are not up to the standard.

He said despite offering poor services it was surprising and suspicious that they still manage to get contract renewals because of the political connections.

The soldier alleged top Army officials have also benefited from the contract in several ways, adding it was an open secret that the Ganis  have been sponsoring Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ‘Blue Night’ parties that are organised to raise funds for the party.

The Blue Nights have recently stirred controversy after civil society organisations (CSO) have demanded that the DPP should refund money some city councils and parastatals donated to the DPP during the latest Blue Night the party organized in Lilongwe.

Another soldier said most of them have complained officially to the administration about the poor services, but nothing changes.

“Strangely, in some situations, the soldiers are given cash by the Hotel Victoria and Kanjedza Lodge to look for food for themselves and the MDF pays the Hotel Victoria and Kanjedza Lodge, what sort of arrangement is that?

“Where money is paid, it is an issue of capacity that they cannot manage to provide food. And why should someone contracted to provide services pay the solders allowances for food and he then gets paid by the MDF? This is outright dubious and something our bosses should have avoided,” the soldier said.

The source disclosed that complaints in the past by the soldiers have been directed to former commander generals Henry Odilo, Ignasio Maulana and the current Griffin Supuni, but nothing changes.

The source disclosed that the soldiers going for border operations in Nsanje and Phalombe are the most affected as they are given little food for the whole month and little money to buy fresh foods such as tomatoes, meat and bread.

“For example, at some point each soldier was supposed to receive K1 500 per day but when given money to platoon commander going for these operations, they received K800 each. I experienced this myself,” he said.

The soldier said they suffer in silence because if they complain, they are regarded as a pariah and they can be sidelined from many opportunities such as going for peace keeping missions and they cannot be promoted.

“The soldiers are afraid of this and they resort to writing anonymous letters. You know even about the United Nations (UN) peace keeping issue, soldiers have not been receiving as per UN rate and the payments are always delayed. But they expect us to remain silent.

“We see senior MDF officers enjoying free services at Hotel Victoria when the Army has a contract with them. If this does not smell corruption, tell me what it is,” the soldier said.

The soldier also alleged that the commander general Supuni had a wedding recently of his son in Lilongwe and catering services were provided for free by the Hotel Victoria.

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Atu
Atu
6 years ago

If you shake hands with mwenye, make sure you count your fingers, otherwise one will go missing. Mwenye ndi mbava. Once things go wrong. You won’t be friends anymore.

Charly
Charly
6 years ago

what Fu***n State capture are you talking about. Amwenye aku samala kwawo. we are failing to do anything in our country. Escom is screwed and still getting screwed from the back. who is screwing them? Achibale athu. Whi is screwing the country? The President. is he a Mwenye? My Fellow compatriots. The foreigners are the ones who are the highest employers and are feeding the poor Malawian. Our own blood and flesh is eating us raw. they tell ys to look at the foreigner and they are robbing the country. WAKE UP!!!!!!!!! THE ELECTION IS CLOSE. VOTE FOR THE RIGHT… Read more »

Kapyola
Kapyola
6 years ago

Am very shocked agalu awa akunjoya ziko alithu go & see madonestic worker ao ali apamavuto anthu akuyipa awa

Keen Observer
Keen Observer
6 years ago

Shame on the leaders!!!!!! Once you get close to Mmwenye you must know that you’re in a spiderweb of corruption. Why sell our sovereignty to the foreigners?????? I think the government needs a new broom to sweep it clean.

Kapyola
Kapyola
6 years ago
Reply to  Keen Observer

Big shame where did he get this contract this idiot just like Gupters family pipo re suffering mankhwala muzipatala.but ena akabwera ndi tiakatundu tao busy kuwabera timisonkho idiot angoyenda moyera this is our country we re suffering indeed.mukukwza timizonkha osauka tizivutika while foreigner re enjoying our honey

getrude
getrude
6 years ago

Mr. Genuine, Mwalakhulatatu za azanu zanu mutabisa. WHAT IS YR PROBLLEM. where were u all this time to repost this.????????????? Shame on you. NSANJE NSANJE NSANJE. Iwe uhule wako waubisa???????????mind yr own business

Genuine
Genuine
6 years ago

Gani sponsored General Spoon son wedding Khuma Spoon to Jenipher Chaona, daughter of brigadier Chaona amene anapatsidwa promotion ndi genera Spoon when he did not deserve it. Brig Chaona analephela the last military course/training ku Kenya and the former army general Maulana sanawapatse promotion chifukwa he is a shame to the MDF and the Malawi nation. In all the surrounding countries even in Kenya any senior officer wolephela amayenela kuuzidwa kuti asazike ntchito, forced to retire or if he stays no promotion till he retires. But Spoon anawakweza a Chaona nkulephela kwaoko. Komanso siokhawo akwezedwa atalephela Spoon anapeleka promotion kwa… Read more »

Maine
Maine
6 years ago
Reply to  Genuine

koma ndiye mwalankhula. Are you working in the military?

benjones
6 years ago

These Gani’s are Malawi’s Untouchable Mafia’s.

Mfumu kanji
Mfumu kanji
6 years ago

Anyone can hire the band it’s a service that is available don’t jealous is weak emotion. Bwanji a Malawi

John
John
6 years ago

We malawians need to answer the folowing questions and pettition to discusion the folowing in parliament 1. Gani is awarded multi billion kwacha contract to supply exercise books with muluzi 2. Gani is awarded multi billion kwacha contract to supply food for army with supuni and paul tawulo And jecke approve on illigal grounds 3. Gani is allowed to clear 3 range rovers, 2 merced benz s classes evading 300million kwacha duty – roza mbilizi at work supporting mwenye 4. Gani is awarded 5 billion kwacha contract to supply syringes to central medical stores – These gani laughs at us… Read more »

francis kamanga
francis kamanga
6 years ago
Reply to  John

that is abuse of resources. Can you read this article properly? this event took place at the army base which is not good. Where is Gani coming from? Is hev from India

Kapyola
Kapyola
6 years ago
Reply to  John

Pipo re suffering while others busy wasting money like this arrest this idiot.enakabwera ndi tiakatundubtao tochepa busy kuwabera timisonkho muzipatala makhwala mulibe anthu oyipa inu mulibe chisoni

Charly
Charly
6 years ago
Reply to  John

you indians are jealoys of yoyr friends.
simpo.
your writing says you are a jealous mwenye.

mwanamulopwana
mwanamulopwana
6 years ago

everyone is free to hire even the police band but at a cost , you can even hire the helicopter to fly your wedding ,I remember my friend hired a helicopter in 2003 at a cost of 500,000 pin

mary
6 years ago
Reply to  mwanamulopwana

Outright lie

mwanamulopwana
mwanamulopwana
6 years ago
Reply to  mary

you can say it is a lie because you don’t know that you can hire anything or may be you don’t have the capacity or money to hire, the problem with most Malawians is that we spend much of our time on facebook while others are busy fixing their education or organizing themselves and at the very same time , we expect life to treat us the same with facebookers NO, that is why Malawi can not develop even if we can borrow any president who delivered elsewhere NSANJE is a very big disease

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