‘Thieves have become sophisticated’: Malawi CSOs warn public officials
Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have warned public officials both elected and appointed that they are being watched and will account for their omissions or commission when discharging their duties arguing that nobody is above law.
The CSOs said they have enhanced their watchdog role claiming there is a total collapse of state accountability institutions in Malawi.
“The Anti – Corruption Bureau is almost dead, for instance. Hence, we will not tolerate high level impunity in terms of fighting corruption,” said Charles Kajoloweka, Director Youth and Society.
“Thieves have become sophisticated in stealing public money, and we needed to change our approach on advocacy too,” he added.
The CSOs: Church and Society Programme of the CCAP Synod of Livingstonia, Youth & Society, Foundation for Equal Rights & Opportunities, National Women’s Lobby Group, Phunzirani Development Organization, Mzuzu University Student Union said this during a news conference at Mimosa Hotel in Mzuzu on Thursday.
The presser followed the CSOs’ triumphant in persuading the High Court in Mzuzu to grant leave for judicial review and an injunction effectively restraining Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development George Chaponda from discharging his duties as Minister pending the finalization of the commission of inquiry.
The CSO’s have been protesting against President Peter Mutharika’s sole appointment of the members of the Commission of Inquiry saying it was unconstitutional and illegal because it abrogated section 7 of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, Cap 18:01 of the Laws of Malawi and clear principles of natural justice and constitutionalism
Mutharika instituted a Commission of Inquiry to investigate the scam in which Admarc reportedly bought maize at K26 billion from the Zambian company and it is believed that Malawi could have saved about K9.5 billion if it had bought the grain directly from the Zambian government.
“We will continue taking action in line with our advocacy roles. Among other actions we will continue to name and shame, effect citizen arrests and litigation like what we have done with Chaponda,” Moses Mkandawire, Director Church and Society said.
“We are not saying Chaponda is guilty, but we want smooth investigations and that cannot happen with him at the helm,” Kajoloweka added.
The CSOs say they were forced to go to court because President Peter Mutharika failed to act on Chaponda.
Kajoloweka says their lawyer Wesley Mwafulirwa working on how to serve Chaponda with the injunction.
Second respondent in the civil cause number 01 of 2017 between: the State versus Chaponda as first respondent, the Attorney General Kalekeni Kaphale as second respondent and President Mutharika as third respondent,told a local radio after the court ruling that government will fight to vacate the injunction because the High Court Judge made a “fundamental error.”
Kaphale said in their application to vacate the injunction and dismiss the case the government will enlighten the judge on some other issues including the limits court are supposed to follow when giving out rulings arguing that courts cannot rule on issues to do with presidential appointments but rather only administrative issues.
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Go young men these old people have lived their lives all they want is to destroy the beautiful country for you. Jijo and pitala were both outside Malawi when in 1992/93 genuine malawians were fighting autocratic rule that they want to bring back. Malawians do not need you go back where you were selfish idiots.
The difference between stupidity and genius is that genius has its limits. Albert Einstein
How can you tell the difference between confidence and arrogance? Here are some of the responses I got:
Confident people believe that they are right and are unafraid of those who may see things differently. Arrogant people not only believe they are right but also feel superior to those who do not share their point of view. Confident people do not belittle those who disagree. Arrogant people do.
Perhaps confidence is arrogance without the fear, and thus without the defensive postures.
Arrogance reeks of insecurity.
Confidence is believing you can do anything anyone else can do. Arrogance is believing no one can ever do what you can do.
Confidence is more internal while arrogance is external. Confidence is quiet while arrogance is loud. Confidence is positive while arrogance is negative.
Confident people don’t necessarily involve other people in their confidence and if they do, it’s more indirect like watching a confident athlete go for gold. A person can be alone and confident. Arrogance involves other people. You can’t be arrogant by yourself. You need to be overbearing and shove your supposed confidence and self-grandeur upon others.
Arrogance comes from a mean-spirited place of condescension and over inflated sense of self worth, or it may actually be an indicator of how small the arrogant person feels about themselves and they’re just trying to tear others down so they feel better. I think true confidence can come from a person’s sense of optimism.
Arrogance is the emotional and psychological tool of those who seek power and authority to dominate others. Confidence is the quiet and unassuming sense of emotional, physical and/or intellectual competence that allows a person to pursue various goals with hope for success.
beautifully thought a piece of cake for the mind true Malawian
Mukumusapota akumenya my 1 st round atsala ma round angati ? Win a akuchalira knockout, ayi tiona men’s zithere bola mukonzeke kugula bokosi ,my friend just warn you mind ur business than politics ,no one will run away I’m sure a day is coming, ndangopitamo.
keep it up kajoloweka
It smells PP and JB who are friends of the Synod and of course party of the north. This is JB money to cover up for the now boiling cashgate case in the courts
mulimbana nokha
Is he going to be the first killed by D.P.P? We know kuti what he is saying can have some viruses to the Government but let him exercise his freedom, unless you tell me that you are the one.
Mantha amenewa ndi amene akuononga zinthu pansi pano.
Make sense out of this. The Executive has failed to empower ACB, Financial Intelligence Unit and Auditor General. Why, may be your guess is right. There may be a deliberate action to continue cashgate.
The Executive can not investigate itself and take to task itself. Parliament, Judiciary and CSOs should wake up before Malawi is declared a failed state. Ask yourself, is the Ministry of Agriculture really working to address food security? Is Ministry of Finance making good use of our taxes? Are the loans being put to good use? Why do we have frequent arrests of medical personnel in the name of theft of drugs. Seal all the openings. If Ministries of Water, Energy and Transport exists, why do we have no water, no power and glue some road accidents because of executive failure? That is why Malawi is a poorest country not just because of population but corruption.
The North v The South. Or to put it bluntly, Atumbuka v aLhomwe, in the broad sense.
When is this adversarial stance going to end? There is no beneficiary here, people. That includes Kajoloweka, the man standing between. Careful, Kajoloweka: you may not know that you may be getting “used” by some powerful, and power hungry individuals. And they may be using you to temper down the quite obvious tribal rivalries and associated hidden motives.
…just sa’ing.
A Mweene mulibe nfundo just eat ur stolen money and shut up!
Kajoloweka !! I feel pity for you !!