BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) zealots have resorted to their own usual way of dealing with critics amid maize-gate scandal involving minister of agriculture George Chaponda by sending death threats to activist Charles Kajoloweka and private practice lawyer Wesley Mwafulirwa.
The duo applied for a judicial review of President Peter Mutharika’s decision not to suspend Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development George Chaponda amid a probe into the Zambia maize import transaction.
Kajoloweka confirmed of the development, saying they have received a series of anonymous SMS messages, phone calls threatening their lives.
He said one of the phone numbers used was 0886029732.
But Minister of Information Nicholous Dausi has distanced the DPP from the death threats.
“DPP government is one of the most tolerant government,” said Dausi.
He, however, said government will not sit back when people go about making “wild , unsubstantiated allegations; lies, conjectures and innuendos.”
Kajoloweka led the CSOs’ seeking court injunction after Mutharika’s appointment of a commission of inquiry into allegations of corruption and malpractices in the maize import deal between State produce trader Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) and a Zambian company.
The CSOs—Youth and Society (YAS), Church and Society Programme of the CCAP Synod of Livingstonia and Centre for Development of People (Cedep)— applied for an injunction restraining Chaponda from discharging his duties as a Cabinet minister pending a further order of the court.
Chaponda, Attorney General Kalekeni Kaphale and Mutharika are first, second and third respondents respectively in the Civil Case No. 1 of 2017 filed at the Mzuzu Registry of the High Court of Malawi. The case is before High Court judge John Chirwa.
They are also questioning Mutharika’s decision to include in the commission of inquiry on the maize saga some civil servants, whom they argue are subordinates to Chaponda.
Two members of the probe team—Socilitor General and Principal Secretary of Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Dr. Janet Banda and Law Commission deputy chief law reform officer Mike Chinoko—are civil servants. The commission is chaired by retired Chief Justice Anastazia Msosa and certified public auditor Isaac Kaira completes the set.
The issue of Mutharika not suspending Chaponda is worrisome coz being a leader he supposed to show his commitment in respecting court orders,calling him a dictator now is not wrong I quests!