VP Chilima says corruption in Malawi govt has reached ‘embarrassing levels’:  Reject thieving leaders

Vice-President Saulos Chilima has boldly spoken out about rampant corruption in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led administration, saying time has come for the citizenry to denounce the continued abuse of public resources by some crooked officials.

Vice President Dr.Saulos Chilima: Stop cheering thieves
Archbishop Ziyaye:  The devil is using people to commit various types of sins

Speaking on Saturday in Ntchisi district where he presided over Celebration of Patron of Saint: Our Lady of Fatima for Mpherere Catholic Parish, the Vice President revealed that there’s wide spread corruption, abuse of tax payer’s money and theft in the DPP regime.

Chilima in his bold statement said corruption has reached what he called “embarrassing levels”.

He accused perpetrators of such wicked acts of endangering the lives of many people in Malawi.

In his speech delivered in Chichewa, Chilima said Malawians should stop calling hands for incompetent and crooked leaders but rather condemn thieves that are stealing government money and putting lives of many Malawians at risk.

He said it is this theft that has led to drug shortages in hospitals.

Tiyeni tidzudzule mchitidwe wakuba. Tiyeni sitiye kuombela  mmanja anthu akuba. Anthu akuboma  mubomamu akuyika miyoyi ya anthu ena pa chiopsezo. Zafika poipa kwambiri ndipo pochititsa manyazi. Mankhwala muzipataa kubedwa. Kuba konzunza a Malawi, [Let us condemn corruption. Let as stop handclapping thieves.  Corruption is worsening  and is reached an embarrasing elevels.  It is an evil practice which puts lives of people at risk as it leads to drug shortage in hospitals, among other things.].”

Chilima said the stench of corruption is immoral .

Izi ndizija mumapezeka kuti bandi yagawana zija chifukwa zanyanya[ immorality can lead to couples split] he said, as commentators interpreted his statement that the 45-year-old intends to leave the DPP.

Archbishop Tarsizio Ziyaye of the Lilongwe Archdiocese, under which Mpherere Parish falls, appealed to Christians to pray hard and fear God in all their undertakings.

His Grace Ziyaye said the “ devil is using people to commit various types of sins nowadays” including killing of persons with Albinism.

This is not the first time for Chilima to drive home this message,

Last year at St. Patrick’s Catholic Parish in Area 18B in Lilongwe where he  served a New Year braai to some of the 13 000 Catholic faithful who had congregated at the parish, Chilima said  ordinary Malawians will not improve their lives unless they stop being mere praise singers to mediocre leadership, and resolve to seriously hold leaders accountable for service delivery in transformative development..

“When the ordinary people press for accountability, leaders in various political parties and in all positions in our communities will stop behaving like shareholders. The truth is that it is the ordinary people who are shareholders because they gave us these various positions. We need to be accountable to the ordinary people by delivering substantive results,” he stated.

The Veep stressed that the country will not progress if people tolerate mediocrity among any of their leaders.

Malawi is among countries that are plagued by untrustworthy and badly functioning public institutions. Even where anti-corruption laws are on the books, in practice they’re often skirted or ignored. People frequently face situations of bribery and extortion, rely on basic services that have been undermined by the misappropriation of funds, and confront official indifference when seeking redress from authorities that are on the take.

RSM Risk Assurance Services, a British audit and advisory firm (formerly Baker Tilly) established that apart from the K24 billion, there was a bigger Cashgate spanning 2009 and December 2014 amounting to K236 billion. While there has been remarkable progress on prosecuting cases involving the plunder of K24 billion from the public purse, investigations into the K236 billion Cashgate to establish culprits have been swept under the carpet.

After shielding culprits of the K236 billion Cashgate, and losing the plot to arraign looters of the Local Development Fund (LDF), the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and the District Development Fund (DDF), the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is now thieving from cash-strapped parastatals in broad day light. All the while the world and potential investors are watching.

Chilima is currently at the centre of an ongoing leadership debate in the governing party.

Some members are  demanding President Peter Mutharika, 79, to pave way for the youthful Chilima as the DPP’s presidential candidate in next year’s elections.

Mutharika has openly declared he would represent DPP in 2019 and that has also been echoed by party gurus such as vice president for the South George Chaponda.

He argues that change of guards will give away the presidency to main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP).

On his part, Chilima has kept his cards to his chest, saying not a word on the suggested take-over, leaving it all to his supporters to fight for the cause they seem to be passionately eager to defend to the hilt.

The Chilima ‘movement for change’  says if Mutharika does not willfully pave way for their preferred candidate then the position of DPP presidential candidate for the 2019 elections should be contested for at the party’s convention. They say it’s only with Chilima at the helm that DPP stands a chance to win in the 2019 presidential race.

Mutharika  has countered that by saying he would contest to secure victory for the party in the 2019 polls.

DPP was founded by the President;’s late brother, Bingu, in 2005 to provide a political footstool for Bingu’s administration after he had ditched United Democratic Front (UDF), the party that sponsored his presidential candidacy in 2004 after former president Bakili Muluzi handpicked him as his successor.

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Chibet
Chibet
5 years ago

Let me remind you all who blame and call Chilima a baby. Incase you don’t know how the government is run , Chilima being a vise president has no power in what so ever to point out or fire any cabinet minister involved in corruption. He can only speak as he’s doing. It’s the duty of president himself to do that. Stop defending madala, where on earth did you hear a vice president doing what you want Chilima to do. Let me give you an example of Zuma Ramaphosa in South Africa, Ramaphosa could just speak but he had no… Read more »

che nnungu
5 years ago

Things fall apart by Chinua Achebe

Mawanga
Mawanga
5 years ago

What is stopping him to acting? More or less he ought to have power to condemn the corruption at hand. Yes I recognize that it is in our hands to wake up and see what is happening around us. But aren’t we the same people who he has identified as suffering? Do I need to go to the extent of reminding the country that we voted for what represented this guy. This guy that only speaks when the mayhem of the country has already be witnessed. This guy that waits to speak only when its “embarrassing levels”. Why wait for… Read more »

MIA M'MWENYE
MIA M'MWENYE
5 years ago

Politicians in opposition should not cheat us that given a chance to govern this country they would put a stop to corruption and theft.Why? Because the current political dispensation -ie multiparty system- robs any party in power of the absolute powers to deal with corruption. During the MCP dictatorship rule, the regime had absolute powers to arrest/detain anyone without trial without the judiciary or any other arm of government challenging the Party’s decision.As a result people were afraid to steal or engage in corrupt practices.This kept corruption in check. If Malawians want a corrupt free society then they should re-introduce… Read more »

Nabetha
Nabetha
5 years ago

Just because some one did not speak up yesterday does not mean they shouldn’t speak up at all. There is a time for everything so the bible says. My people, we need as many people as can wake up and speak against this plague of silence. Let us focus on the needful and avoid unnecessary confusion. The truth is we all need to shout against corruption in any small way we can afford at all levels. Remember what goes round comes round, you may be having fun as a beneficiary of this evil be ware that life can turn upside… Read more »

Mgwagwa wa ku Ntcheu!
Mgwagwa wa ku Ntcheu!
5 years ago

Our vice president is a joke and I have three reasons for my claim. First, Chilima is in government where corruption is rampant. he is better placed to warn, punish and shame the corrupt government leaders. What is the point of telling poor people in rural Malawi to act? Second, he uses the church platform too much to make his political speeches. He plays a victim as if he is not a party to corruption. He is really a child and that’s Goodal was talking about. Trust me Goodal is sensible enough to know many other countries which have been… Read more »

comrade
comrade
5 years ago

Love him or hate him he needs to be praised for initiating this discussion and bringing this to the attention of the whole world. Some of the comments I have read are just as embarrassing as the thievery in our government. The fact that public funds embezzelment has been going on with no proper checks and balances does not mean that it is right! It must stop and it must stop now! Well done SKC!

Chilima Masagwidi.
5 years ago

This lad called Chilima is indeed brainless. Why is he hiding behind tha Catholic pulpit always? And he has been VP all these years, why did he not curb corruption?

Baby Chilima, you can do better. You shall need DPP in many ways hereafter.

URIM AND THUMIM
5 years ago

Oooh God please Remove the scales of blindness from the eyes of my fellow MALAWIANS so that we can see that BUSHIRI IS the only Answer to the hardships the Country is facing otherwise We will regret /Suffer like never before in human history
PLEASE PAC CSOS CHIEFS CHURCH LEADERS INVITE BUSHIRI TO COME AND HELP GOVERN THE COUNTRY AS WAS THE CASE WITH KAMUZU
THESE FIELD MARSHALS WILL NOT TAKE US ANYWHERE

QueenB
QueenB
5 years ago

Chilima has been part of corruption all these years and now he is speaking out against it because he wants our votes next year. Where were you when the maize gate happened? You didn’t even speak out against the K4b. Iwenso ndiwe mbava just like everyone in the DPP. You’re walking around like a Pharisee pretending to be holy but you’re not. And please stop using the Church as your speaking outlet.

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