Following an open letter to Ambassador from The Republic of Malawi, His Excellency, Mr. Edward Yakobe Sawerengera and his response, The Concerned Malawians in Texas are still not satisfied that their concerns were fully addressed and have released a statement that has been made available to us.
The Full Statement Below:
Refer the Press Release from The Ambassador from The Republic of Malawi, His Excellency, Mr. Edward Yakobe Sawerengera, dated March 5, 2020 responding to petition to cancel inauguration of the Honorary Consulate in Galveston, Texas and organize a date and time to meet with Malawians living in Texas.
The people raising the concerns and supporting the petition find the response lacking both moral and intellectual integrity. The Ambassador has chosen not to respond to issues specifically raised in the petition. He has not offered to cancel the inauguration, nor has he proposed a proper meeting for an honest and constructive consultation with the concerned and the community at large. Therefore, we believe that there is no utility in engaging further with this office on the matter.
To address some of the misdirection in the Ambassador’s letter:
1- We clearly condemn any acts of violence or threats in any form or shape. We believe members of our community have been civil and will continue to exercise their right to protest and seek accountability from our leaders in Washington, DC and Malawi.
2- The letter addresses the Vienna Convention of 1963, as having been followed in the process of identifying the need for an office in Texas as well as finding a suitable officer to serve in the duties and responsibilities of the office. His letter does not discuss the duties and responsibilities as provided in the letter of self-introduction from the Honorary Consul to Malawians in Texas (attached) and posted on the Embassy’s website. The letter further fails to recognize the distrust, confusion and division that the apparent lack of transparency in the conduct of the Embassy leading up to the commissioning, appointment and inauguration of the Honorary Consul has created among Malawians living in Texas. We believe that such a lack of responsible acknowledgement says a lot about the office of the Ambassador in Washington, DC and their posture towards the people and country they are supposed to serve.
3- The Ambassador and the First Honorary Consul keep emphasizing that the office will use personal funds for stationery, travels to Washington, DC and others, implying the most selfless act of service and charity. This does not address the question of accountability, self-dealing, conflict of interest and others.
Finally, we will continue to perform our civic duties without fear of intimidation.
Signed: Lawrence Matengula (Austin, Texas)
For and on behalf of the concerned.
