UTM’s Chilima says Malawi will be great when DPP ‘thieves’ are voted out

UTM Party presidential candidate Saulos Chilima has said  Malawi will be great country when people remove the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) from power in  the May 21 Tripartite Elections, accusing the current administration of suffocating Malawians from getting quality life  due to wrongful enrichment.

The UTM presidential hopeful, who is also State vice-president, said this at Njamba Freedom Park in Blantyre on Tuesday before a mammoth crowd as he wrapped up his Southern Region campaign.

Chilima told the rally which was televised that DPP has instructed every chief executive officer (CEO) of parastatal to donate K10 million to the campaign of the governing party.”These people [in DPP] are thieves and as evidence, they are nit satisfied with the money they have stolen; they have instructed every CEO of parastatal in the country to donate K10 million to DPP,” said Chilima.

He cited Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) and Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) as some of the institutions where money is being looted for DPP activities.

“At MRA they have bought new vehicles and some of them will be given to chiefs to corruptly make them help DPP in this election,” said Chilima.

He even gave details of the firm the vehicles have been insured with UGI Insurance .

Recently, Chilima also revealed that Macra has been topping the fuel card which the DPP officials have been using with K2 million a month.

Chilima warned Macra and MRA officials to clean their decks.

Despite Macra director general Godfrey Itaye is still under investigations into two multi-million kwacha contracts the regulator is alleged to have dubiously awarded in 2017, his contract was renewed recently.

The contracts in question include a K19 million supply contract Macra reportedly awarded to a business firm owned by a relation to Itaye  and another relating to printing of calendars worth K135 million.

The graft-busting body launched its investigations after receiving a complaint from a whistle blower on the alleged dealings.

Chilima said he will deal with corruption.

“Poverty is getting worse because of thieves. We are failing to develop agriculture in this country because of thieves. We should not be glorifying these thieves by christening them as Big Man. We are failing to develop education and road infrastructure because of thieves,” said Chilima.

Chilima said it is misuse and abuse of public resources.

Civil society organisations have been arguing that parastatal donations to ruling party contravenes the doctrine of public trust, the Constitution and the Public Finance Management Act.

Chilima’s remarks focused on agriculture, economic development and education while reminding the people about the power of the ballot paper.

Chilima expressed confidence and rolled his sleeves during that rally to show that he is ready to “serve” the people.

Earlier, Chilima’s running mate Micheal Usi said the country’s newest registered political outfit was satisfied it has delivered the message to the electorate.

The DPP has three main rivals in this election—Malawi Congress Party (MCP), which is in alliance with former president Joyce Banda’s People’s Party (PP) and Freedom Party (PP), Vice-President Saulos Chilima’s UTM and the United Democratic Front which has Minister of Health Atupele Muluzi as its torchbearer.

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