A group of 18 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Malawi has expressed grave mistrust over members of the MK26 billion Zambia maize-gate Commission of Inquiry and has since penned President Peter Mutharika to include some Members of Parliament (MPs), CSOs and members from the private sector in the commission to make it inclusive.
According to the group’s leader Robert Mkwezalamba, the CSOs has no trust in the appointed members of the maize-gate commission.
“We want MPs, CSOs and some members of the private sector to be included in the established commission of inquiry,” said Mkwezalamba.
He said the CSOs further demand that the President fires the Minister of Agriculture and ADMARC boss Foster Mulumbe especially that the minister strongly refuses to step down.
Apart from this, the group has also demanded that the President commands ADMARC boss to vacate the court injunction he obtained against Times Group media house from carrying maize gate stories.
However, government spokesperson Nicholas Dausi has appealed to the concerned CSOs to be calm. Dausi wondered why the CSOs are rushing to discredit the established commission before seeing their fruits.
He said the commission has people with vast knowledge and experience.
Recently, some political experts also trashed the credibility of the commission with some calling it a sham.
This is not the first time that Malawi government has instituted a commission of inquiry. There have been several commission of inquiries instituted in Malawi before notable among them are the Robert Chasowa, the Bingu wa Mutharika, and the July 20-21 anti-government demonstrations but their findings are not treated with seriousness they deserve.
Just recently, Law Professor at University of Malawi’s Chancellor College Edge Kanyongolo rightly observed that commission of inquiries in Malawi are useless and a waste of time. It is yet to be seen if this Anastanzia Msosa-headed Zambia maize-gate Commission of Inquiry will be any different.
