UTM’s Ndasauka testimony generates more smoke than substance in Malawi poll case

The testimony from one of the witnesses for UTM presidential candidate Saulos Chilima in the ongoing presidential elections results challenge case has proved the narrative that it is easy to allege, but difficult to prove, especially when the allegations are made thoughtlessly as  regards the cross examination of Darlington Ben Ndasauka.

Ndasauka (c): His testimony generated more light than heat

Ndasauka, who was UTM’s consulting team leader at the National Tally Centre in Blantyre during the vote tallying and tabulation process, in his sworn witness statement, made  wild and outlandish allegations that implied that the vote was manipulated in favour of the incumbent President Peter Mutharika – the first respondent in the case – by the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), the second respondent.

He exhibited material relating to about 21 polling stations.

Having walked majestically into the witness box on Monday, Ndasauka, who prided himself to have been part of an electoral monitoring team at the National Tally, crumbled very easily under the weight of seemingly cordial and friendly cross examination by both the Attorney General Kalekeni Kaphale, who is representing MEC in his capacity as Chief Legal Adviser for government  and President Mutharika’s lawyer Frank Mbeta.

Ndasauka readily admitted that he never witnesses any voting, vote counting or tallying.

He could not pick out any centre from the 21 he paraded, where any of the UTM monitors, who duly signed the tally sheets, had protested either their signatures on the tally sheets, or the candidate valid vote count.

Any corrections on the forms could not be questioned by him as he never participated in the counting or tallying.

In fact he conceded that all the corrections relating to statistical data for ballots and none related to candidate valid votes, which are used to determine poll results.

He also admitted that his assertions that the votes were manipulated or tampered with in favour of President Mutharika was an exaggeration and not borne out by any evidence.

In cases where he noted a tally sheet was fake, Ndasauka could  not explain how  or why UTM monitors signed the same and why, if the data in terms of candidate valid votes was not genuine, none has brought to court alternative figures knowing as he admitted,  all monitors were given stream as well as polling station tally sheets right at the polling station.

Most importantly,  despite the UTM party spending lots of time and effort training and deploying monitors at each and every polling station, Ndasauka  admitted that for any result that he questioned,  he never took time to speak to their monitors at any particular poliing station where the result was doubted.

In essence, Ndasauka’s testimony generated more light than heat; more smoke than substance and it confirmed what has always been the defence theory: the elections were  not rigged at all.

Ndasauka’s testimony, like the previous witness, Miriam Gwalidi, dwelt on altered result sheets.

Chilima, who is first petitioner in the case, is alongside Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera (second petitioner), challenging the re-election of President Peter Mutharika, alleging that the presidential results in May were marred by irregularities and fraud.

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Hatton
Hatton
4 years ago

Kudambwe anayamba kale kukonzekera maliro a CHAKWERA chifukwa akuti wakonzeka kudzipha chifukwa changongole zakampenini zomwe
Anakongola.A LOWE ZIKONZEKERANI u substantive leader of opposition.

THE APOSTLE
4 years ago

MA CADET A DPP INVANI IZI: WE HAVE 3 MONTHS FOR PETER TO DIE ….

INUNSO MACADET YOUR TIME IS OVER …MALAWI SI WA ANTHU ACHILOMWE OSAPHUNZIRA NGATI INU

KUBA TOO MUCH AND YOU DO NOT HAVE BRAINS ….UBONGO WANU UNAONONGEKA KALE KALE NDI MAKHWALA. AGALU INU MUNYA GOD HAS EXPOSED YOU.

MUKONZEKE KULIRA MALIRO A PETER MATHANYULA AFA NDI BP

Joloza
4 years ago

Shame on UTM president and his so called witnesses. They are failing to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the elections were rigged. They have no substance.

Lego
4 years ago
Reply to  Joloza

Just shut up your filthy mouth

Don
Don
4 years ago

It puzzles me that even the author of this article does not know what the case before the constitutional court is all about.

The case is not whether or not the election was rigged but rather about whether the law was broken in determining the winner/losers.

Top
Top
4 years ago
Reply to  Don

According to justice Kamanga the outcome still has to show that the broken law changed the results.

Mbwiye
Mbwiye
4 years ago

Those of us who know ndasauka, anali opanda mzeru and ofuna kukhala wochokera kolemera when he came from a poor family. So it’s not strange. This utm party was being associated with the so called progressive people some of whom wanted to make money so fast. In this party there were mahule, achina khwesi, stupid chilima and several stupid people. Hey.

Lego
4 years ago
Reply to  Mbwiye

That has got nothing to do with this case…Talk sense not senseless things wawa

Nyondo
4 years ago

Why worry the truth will come out Ndasauka is not a final let the judges do there job. It is up to the judges to throw Malawi in paradise or hell

Nabanda
4 years ago

Darlington Ben Ndasauka has been given a huge sum of money to clear the mess done by MEC. Our God is a God of justice, and justice will prevail soon

Joloza
4 years ago
Reply to  Nabanda

Shame on you Nabanda. If Ndasauka was given money to clear MEC’s name, it means Chilima was given man too because he failed to prove to the court beyond reasonable doubt that the elections were rigged. Amangoyankhula mbwelera zokhazokha. Chanzeru ndikuvomereza masankho munaluza. Umboninso mulibe wogwirika.

Kanyimbi
Kanyimbi
4 years ago

Inu musadandaule ndi Ndasauka umboni wa Gwalidi unadula kale mutu wa a pumbwa dikirani akamadzachita summary ma lawyer a UTM ndi MCP.

Lester
Lester
4 years ago
Reply to  Kanyimbi

Kkk umboni wolemba pa kope osabweretsa copies of originals kkk

Silungwe
4 years ago
Reply to  Lester

copies of originals pajatu munakanika kukapereka ku khoti apumbwa inu,,mukubisa chani pama originals po? imeneyi ndiye munagwa nayo kale musamayikambenso muzingodikira re- run basi

Ntambo: Ndilibe nanu mawu

Inu mbuli za moto buuu wamapesi, musamunene ndasauka wosauka muubongo monga mwa dzina lake. Ngosauka muubongo ngati Arafat Hamdani. Namga iyeyo mfana Arafat anapereka boni wakanthu?… kkkkkkkkkk.

Khima
Khima
4 years ago

Bad Losers….

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