LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The opposition Democratic progressive Party (DPP)’s lawmaker for Thyolo Central Ben Phiri says President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse is the most and worst administration Malawi has ever had.
Phiri told Times Exclusive that despite Chakwera Tonse regime was vocal on DPP nepotism, current government is the worst ever Malawi had.
He observed further that DPP regime recruited less qualified individuals who delivered than Chakwera regime with countless graduates but non-performers.
Phiri said that said government senior positions including the board committees are being dominated with people from central region.
The lawmaker therefore apologized to Malawians on wrong doings DPP inflicted on them saying the party is now repenting and preparing for come back.
Recently several stakeholders condemned Chakwera government of offering his daughter a senior post abroad regardless him condemning the act when he was a leader of opposition.
Religious leaders have also condemned the Tonse government of failing to fulfill their promise of changed leadership different from DPP regime.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Senior Resident Magistrate Patrick Chirwa on Monday, December 13, 2021 granted bail to former cabinet minister Ben Phiri.
Phiri has been ordered to pay a MK10, million cash bond and produce two people as surety at MK5, million.
The opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Thyolo Central lawmaker has also been asked to surrender all his traveling documents and report to police after every two weeks.
In the ruling, the court has indicated that the state has failed to demonstrate how the accused will tamper with witnesses as explained by the state.
On the outset, it must be emphasized that we condemn criminality.
We urge law enforcers to bring to book anyone who contravenes any Malawian laws regardless of their political affiliation. Malawi is not a lawless country.
However, we will continue to vehemently condemn politically motivated arrests whose sole agenda is to score a political point.
Firstly, it becomes a political arrest when top most suspects from the same opposition party, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) are arrested when suspects from the Tonse Alliance government with similar offenses are left Scot free . This is selective justice.
On record, Malawi has witnessed the arrests of Dalitso Kabambe, Henry Mussa, Joseph Mwanaamveka, Ben Phiri, Uladi Mussa and Mzomera Ngwira just to mention a few.
It is not true that there are all angels in the Tonse Alliance government. In fact, there is a lot of corruption taking place now in the Tonse Alliance but the suspects are not arrested for the mere fact that they are Tonse Alliance members. This selective justice must stop forthwith.
Examples of corruption incidences in the Tonse Alliance government are numerous. A recent allegation is that of a cabinet minister who was found with stashes of money in his car boot. Some cabinet ministers have accumulated unexplained wealth within a short time.
This contravenes the provisions of Malawi Corruption Act. Malawians still want to know how the proceeds from the sale of the presidential jet were expended.
Secondly, an arrest becomes politically motivated when the suspects face half-baked and trumped-up charges.
The arrests of Bon Kalindo, Dalitso Kabambe and Joseph Mwanaamveka fall in this category.
Dalitso Kabambe and Joseph Mwanaamveka were arrested on the allegations that they gave false information to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). As a consequence, they allege, Malawi did not get any credit facility from IMF.
Much as we don’t tolerate the offence of falsifying information, the allegation does not make sense. Let us put facts straight. Malawi did not meet the conditions of getting any credit facility from IMF. If the suspects did not cook figures, assuming they did, would IMF have approved their application based on the fact they said the truth? Obviously no!!! Malawi did not meet the conditions. Period. Therefore, their argument becomes invalid and nonsensical.
Back to the arrest of Bon Kalindo who is facing two charges. The first is that he uttered a statement during Mangochi demonstrations that Honorable Clement Chiwaya was murdered and not that he committed suicide. The second charge is that during Mzuzu demonstrations, he claimed that the government is aware of albino killers.
Much as we acknowledge that these are serious allegations, the timing of the arrest is politically motivated aimed at silencing those who criticise the government.
Bon Kalindo has been making such albino allegations numerous times. In fact, he has been pleading with the police to honorably effect his arrest so that he can divulge more information. In this case, he was a whistleblower.
As a whistleblower, Bon Kalindo has vital information that will assist Malawians to know the truth surrounding the death of Honorable Clement Chiwaya and the gruesome killings of innocent albinos.
The best move for the law enforcers was not to arrest Bon Kalindo but to parade him as a state witness who will then assist the government with vital information which will unlock the mystery surrounding Honorable Clement Chiwaya’s death and albino killings.
At the end of the day, the painful truth remains with us that the politically motivated arrests will not solve our economic quandaries.
Diverting attention of people from real issues to politically motivated arrests will not resolve matters.
Cost of living will remain high. No one million jobs will be created. No free water and electricity connections will be fulfilled by these political arrests. No cheap passports. No driving licences that don’t expire. Yes, after the political arrests, the elder will still not receive their promised monthly stipend.
We therefore implore the government machinery to devise practicable means to address the demands presented by the demonstrations. Political arrests won’t meet the demonstrators’ demands.
Send your feedback to: Rick Dzida, email: rdzida@gmx.com
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are those of the author not necessarily of The Maravi Post or Editor
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Following the arrest of Former Malawi Minister of Finance and Former Ruling Top Official Joseph Mwanamvekha, this publication understands that there are warrants of arrest for opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) gurus including Ben Phiri, Goddall Gondwe, and others.
Phiri who is also Thyolo Central legislator said police stormed his Blantyre residence on Tuesday afternoon, December 7, 2021 to arrest him but didn’t find him as he is currently in the Capital, Lilongwe.
Phiri affirmed that he engaged the police officers over the phone and he came to realize about his warrant of arrest. He has agreed to surrender himself at Area 30 Police Headquarters, Wednesday morning.
Meanwhile, Mwanamveka’s arrest comes barely hours after Attorney General, Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda, told journalists in Lilongwe that he has recommended investigations into how Malawi Savings Bank (MSB) was sold six years ago.
There are reports that a string of other arrests of former government officials could soon be rounded up in relation to this matter.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Minister of Lands Kezzie Msukwa on Friday, November 19, 2021 accused opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Member of Parliament for Thyolo Central Ben Phiri of sponsoring series of demonstrations that are taking place in Blantyre and Mzuzu.
The development resulted into delay of Parliament proceedings as Phiri demanded evidence from the minister over the allegations.
Second Deputy Speaker of the August House, Aisha Adams asked Msukwa to give the house the evidence of his accusations towards Phiri.
However, Msukwa failed to produce the evidence as he said he heard it from another parliamentarian.
The Second Deputy Speaker then asked Msukwa to withdraw his remarks of which he did.
The lawmaker Phiri told The Maravi Post in an interview that he has never funded any demonstrations and he can not do it now especially after what he witnessed in the last demonstrations during their regime.
“I have never funded demonstrations, I can’t fund demonstrations, demonstrations are right to the people as it shrine by the constitution but because I witnessed the destruction that was there during the last demonstrations, I wouldn’t want to be part to any sort of funding of such that’s why I raised it up to put the record straight.” Ben explained
He added, “It is the end of the matter because we are in political house, so alot of politics work where they will decide to intimidate the person, maybe to make sure that the person is intimidated than not raising up issues by threatening the person which I don’t get intimidated but at the same time the minister himself really withdrawn the matter and the record has been put straight.”
Different groups in Blantyre and Mzuzu have organized demonstrations over the cost of living and socio-economic challenges rocking the country.
Bon Kalindo, former parliamentarian is the one leading the Blantyre protests and Phunziro Mvula of Social Revolutionary Movement is the one leading Mzuzu demonstrations.
Blantyre demonstrations on Friday ended in chaotic scenes after Malawi Police Service ran battles with protesters amid teargas spray.
Hon. Ben Phiri, Member of Parliament for Thyolo Central Constituency and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Field Marshal also former Minister of Local government, moved an important motion in Parliament, which If approved will see service providers removing an expiry period on different data bundles bought by internet surfers.
The motion concerned with the serious practice by mobile service providers in the country, in which they impose an expiry date for any data bundle purchased by the subscribers for internet usage, and noting that the practice is bad business practice which is disadvantageous to the ordinary citizens and counterproductive to the government’s intentions of making internet accessible to everyone, this House resolves that the government through Ministry of Information and MACRA as a regulator should immediately engage service providers with a view of directing cessation of this bad practice by mobile providers,” reads part of the official Parliamentary order paper for today.
If this motion is adopted, Malawians will never cry about expiry of data bundles which accumulate in their phones and vanishes before they are used because they have reached the expiry date, a pure act of theft by service providers.
Service providers such as Airtel and TNM will have to comply with the resolution which will be made or risk their licenses being revoked by the country’s regulator, MACRA.
On the political note, Democratic Progressive Party – DPP claims the Lazarus Chakwera led Government propaganda machinery has gone out spreading lies that Phiri and wife Bernadette have divorced and that she wants 50/50 share of their worth, hours before Phiri moved the motion in Parliament.
Commentators described the move by the Government machinery as aimed at breaking Dr. Ben Phiri’s spirit ahead of the important motion which will mark a new milestone in the information and communication technology sector of Malawi.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Member of Parliament for Thyolo Central Ben Phiri, who is also a member of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), has moved a motion asking the house through its committees to work with the Ministry of Information to engage telecommunication service providers in revisiting the practice of setting an expiry time frame for data bundles.
According to the motion, Phiri said the practice by mobile phone operators is a great concern to subscribers as it extremely disadvantages the ordinary citizens and is counterproductive to government’s intention of making internet accessible to everyone.
“Madam speaker and fellow members, we wish we knew where they throw these rotten bundles so that we can go there and probably get the rotten ones and use them. These acts negatively affect most Malawians who are failing to afford internet services,” said Phiri.
The motion was seconded by Lilongwe Msozi South legislator Liana Kakhobwe Chapota who explained that the trend gives limitations to subscribers in terms of making internet access available to every citizen in Malawi.
Malawians have been complaining of high costs of internet data bundles, but the service providers have severally attributed it to unfavourable taxes they remit to the government.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)–Politician Grezelder Jeffrey has been fired as Secretary General of the former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) with immediate effect, Maravi Post has learnt.
Jeffrey has confirmed the development, saying it is connected to her views that the party’s leader Peter Mutharika has done his part and that it needs an early elective convention.
“I am not worried…actually this is good for me. I will be going home in Nkhotakhota,” she said.
On Tuesday, Jeffrey said the party would be going for an early elective convention to choose the president of the party as Mutharika needs to rest after doing his part.
Jeffrey, popularly known as Jeff wa Jeff, was appointed as the Secretary General of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) effective January 18 2017.
She replaced Francis Mphepo, who was the Acting SG.
In a related development, the party’s director of elections, Ben Phiri has tendered his resignation letter to the party paving way for new blood to take over from him following his failure to steer the party to electoral victory in the June 23 fresh presidential election.
“Madam Secretary General, as Director of Elections I surely cannot claim to have any fresh and viable strategies to spur the party into another victory having lost the past one. I therefore deem it noble and civil for me to follow the tradition in the civilized and mature democracies where such a loss would call for responsible office bearers to step down and pave way for fresh minds to take the party forward,” says Phiri in the letter.
Though not indicating as reason behind the resignation, Phiri has further said some party officials accused him of selling the elections to the then opposition parties for personal gains, an allegation he has described as disturbing and defamatory.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Busted! It has been revealed that former President Peter Mutharika’s security aide Norman Chisale and Ben Phiri have connived with the Malawi Defence Force commander Peter Namathanga to siphon a whooping MK3 billion from taxpayers in a dubious deal of uniform purchase.
Namathanga who was appointed by former president Peter Mutharika as Malawians were gearing for the fresh presidential election, has been reported to have made the decision to award a contract to the undeserving Asian who is offering his services at an exorbitant higher price instead of awarding it to the lowest bidders and those deserving it.
Information within MDF is rife that there are other Asians who tendered their bids so that they get an opportunity of supplying uniforms to MDF.
But unfortunately, Namathanga has favoured one of the undeserving Asian so that there should be an easy siphoning of MK3 billion that will be later shared among the three and the contractor.
Information on our desk is revealing that Namathanga, through his boy Colonel M’dala, is pleading with Mr Hausi, who is the boss at the Directorate of Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets so that he should endorse the dubious contract as having been legitimately given to the Asian.
The country’s procurement laws state that when awarding a contract, government should ensure that 60 percent of contractors should be indigenous Malawians and 40 percent should be contractors from other countries.
Mutharika replaced General Vincent Nundwe with an inexperienced home boy Namathanga after noting that the former general was not bowing to the demands of the Democratic Progressive Party top brass.
Chisale and Phiri took the advantage of the replacement. The two did not leave a stone unturned until they influenced Namathanga so that he should give a contract to the Asian in question.
Chisale is currently under police custody for numerous charges; fraud, murder suspected to have committed during former President Peter Mutharika’s DPP leadership.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Information reaching The Maravi Post reveals that Malawi former Minister and NIB Chief Spy Nicholas Dausi was Saturday, August 8, 2020 being interrogated by Fiscal Police in the capital Lilongwe Lilongwe.
The police are also interrogating Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)’s senior member Henry Mussa regarding to Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) funding to the party.
This comes after Dausi was implicated by former local government minister Ben Phiri who claimed the bombastic speaking Dausi along side Jappie Mhango were the masterminders of most of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP’s) thuggery activities.
Among others, it is revealed by insiders that Dausi solicited funds for DPP campaign from government institutions.
The Maravi Post understand that there is also investigation a lead in which Dausi is said to have hijacked a community development to bring electricity to Neno villages and instead directed ESCOM authorities to use the funds to bring electricity to his cattle farm in Mwanza, some kilometres from Neno.
More to come….
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