The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) this week apologized to the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) over the ‘Zachamba’ (nonsense) remarks made by its Secretary General (SG) Greselder Jeffrey wa Jeffrey on the Blue Night saga.
The CSOs, together with Malawi Law Society (MLS) pressurized the ruling DPP to return the money it got from the parastatals and City Councils during its fundraising dinner, popularly known Blue Night recently in Lilongwe.
However, the DPP Secretary General and Vice President Hetherwick Ntata, rebuffed the call, while Jeffrey WA Jeffrey described it Zachamba.
The two argued that the concern parastatals and councils made the decision on their own, hence the ruling party will not return the cash.
The CSOs that include Youth and Society, Human Rights Consultative Committee, Centre for Development of People and Church, Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation, and Society of Livingstonia Synod threatened to take court action against the DPP, a development that forced the party’s SG Jeffrey wa Jeffrey to call for a dialogue.
During the dialogue, which held in Lilongwe on Friday, DPP delegates that include Ntaba, DPP regional governor for the central and presidential aid Mavuto Bamusi among others, apologized for the remarks.
The apology comes after the CSOs demanded and stood before the start of the dialogue meet with Government.”We first apologize for the arrogant remarks made by one of our officials. We know that the remarks were bad and we need your forgiveness,” said Bamusi.
However, the CSOs who accepted the apology, insisted that the DPP needs to return the money it got from Councils and parastatals.
“Malawi is a country of laws, and there is nowhere in the laws where public institutions are mandated to fund activities of a political grouping. This is why as CSOs, we will not compromise on our principal stand that the money be paid back and that those involved in giving the money to the DPP must be disciplined accordingly,” said CHRR Executive Director Timothy Mtambo.
“Being a ruling political party, we expected the DPP to lead by example in staying from abusing public funds, but the message citizens are now getting out there is that DPP is bent on perpetuating cash-gate in the country,” he added.
Mtambo further said he feared that with such brazen abuse of public resources by the ruling party, it could be a tall order for the much-cherished Public Sector Reforms to bear fruits in the country.
Despite the apology, the two parties are yet to finalize their discussion and have adjourned to another day.
