Tag Archives: Centre for Mindset Change Executive Director Phillip Kamangirah

Malawi, Politics

CMC chides Chilima on dragging Malawians into political fight

Maravi Post Reporter

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s civil rights group Center for Mindset Change (CMC) has dared Vice President Saulos Chilima not to take Malawians for granted for his personal interests than the common good.

Chilima out of cocoon

CMC is strongly horrified by the level of state of Political arrogance and negligence demonstrated by Chilima in his Statement through a Press Briefing that took place on July 1, 2022.

In a press statement made available to The Maravi Post signed by CMC Executive Director Phillip Kamangirah observes that Chilima’s action was to divert Malawians attention from serious matters against corruption to his personal and political satisfaction.

“We are of the view that the core of the briefing was not aimed at meeting the prospects of Malawians and instead, it was simply destined to deter the public devotion from his alleged corruption involvement.

“We were preordained to believe that the Press Briefing would be on matters of national importance as sued earlier, to the contrary, the Vice President blatantly attested to the nation that he is a liar,” reads part of CMC statement.

Kamangirah adds, “In his statement the Vice President claimed that in the Alliance Partners agreement, all things shall be done in consultation with the partners of the alliance. However, it is on record that all Alliance Partners had a meeting at State House last week and one is compelled to ask as to whether the issues he raised during the Press Briefing were agreed upon or not.

“Nonetheless, it is clear that the matters were never discussed at the meeting and this undoubtedly tells that the Vice President is not an honest man. He has ascertained to be in marriage with intellectual insanity and dishonest,”.

He explains further, “We re-count with great tremor having noticed that Vice President is running away from responsibilities by focusing on 2025 elections instead of telling Malawians the truth about his alleged involvement in corruption deals.

“This is taking Malawians for granted and a serious demonstration of naked leadership that is associated with grave pretended political counterfeit. It is sad to mention that instead of focusing on issues that Malawians are going through, he instead and pinpointed much on the 2025 elections which would be more advantageous to his personal interests. This is hypocrisy of the highest order revealed by the Vice President”.

“It is further shocking to note that the Vice President could for once imagine that the Alliance Agreement can rule superlative over the Constitution of Malawi.

“We call upon all Malawians to rally behind the Anti- Corruption Bureau (ACB) in its concerted effort in the fight against corruption,” concludes Kamangirah.

During the press conference Chilima demanded removal of presidential powers from being prosecuted on criminal matters.

Chilima also disclosed that Tonse Alliance set one term for him and Reverend Lazarus Chakwera.

Lifestyle, Malawi, Politics

CMC demands Energy Minister Matola’s apology for calling Malawians “Frogs”

Maravi Post Reporter

By Thandie Chadzandiyani

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Centre for Mindset Change (CMC) has called upon Minister of Energy Ibrahim Matola to apologize to Malawians for referring to them as frogs.

CMC referred to the remarks Matola made during the inauguration of Golomoti Solar Power Plant Project on Monday, June 6, 2022.

Matola calling Malawians Frogs (Achule)

In the speech, Matola called Malawians frogs following the public outcry on Chakwera’s apatite for tours, trips amid the country’s ailing economy.

CMC Executive Director Phillip Kamangirah demands, “The remarks are naturally demeaning to humanity; politically unacceptable, morally illogical and above all not worthy coming from a Cabinet Minister, who is a beneficiary of the hard earned tax he is recklessly and insensitively enjoying from the poor and suffering Malawians he is calling frogs today”

“As an institution of governance, we unconditionally call upon Mr. Ibrahim Matola to apologize to Malawians for such remarks Matola should remember that he is holding that ministerial position for purposes of serving the people of Malawi and not frogs”.

Kamangirah continued by reminding the minister that power is given on trust by the people and calling such people frogs is not just merely rude.

“It is also a serious iota of mediocrity which is associated with power drunkenness. What the Cabinet Minister displayed is undemocratic, disgraceful and dishonorable to the people of Malawi”.

However CMC calls upon politicians to stop taking Malawians for granted.

“All Politicians should stop walking faster than their shadows. All Politicians should not grow taller than their normal size and they should not grow wings that will cover their ears at a supersonic speed as a result of power.

“All Malawians deserve better. We are not ready as a nation and a people to watch dishonorable individuals who are using our hard earned tax to insult or disrespect us by even calling the people of Malawi frogs,” concludes Kamangirah.

Matola is yet to respond on CMC demands.

Development, Malawi

CMC happy with Transport Ministry’s transparency on Marka-Bangula Railway project contract award

Maravi Post Reporter 1 Comment

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s civil rights group under the banner Centre for Mindset Change (CMC) has lauded Ministry of Transport and Public works for being transparent in awarding China Railway 20 (CR20) contract to design, upgrade and rehabilitate the railway section between Marka and Bangula project.

This comes after Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) stopped Mota-Engil from the project for contractual fraud coupled with overpricing.

ACB therefore ordered re-adverting the project for new bidders excluding Mota-Engil which was awarded at the tune of MK48.2 billion.

Marka-Bangula Railway project

In a letter addressing to Transport Minister Jacob Hara, The Maravi Post has seen, CMC Executive Director Phillip Kamangirah is satisfied with the tendering process.

Kamangirah lauds the minister for acting swiftly over the fraud issues raised on the project that could cost taxpayers huge some of money.

He however disclosed that his grouping has rescinded decision of going to court to stop the re-tendering process and enforce re-evaluation as directed by ACB.

Kamangirah therefore appeals for disciplinary action against evaluation committee’s incompetency that awarded fraudulently Mota-Engil.

“Disciplinary Action against the Initial Evaluation Committee in one of our letters to your office and also to ACB, we asked for disciplinary action against the members of the evaluation committee that messed up the initial process. We would like to follow up on that.

“Secondly, we will be following up with ACB on how far they are because our understanding is that those responsible for mismanagement of the evaluation process have a case to answer. We believe the above interventions will deter other public officers from engaging in unethical practices when evaluating tenders,” reads in part CMC letter.

Once project is completed will connect Malawi to Mozambique through the 44 Kilometre Bangula-Nsanje railway line.

Below is the full CMC letter to Transport Ministry:

DESIGN, UPGRADING AND REHABILITATION OF THE RAILWAY SECTION BETWEEN MARKA AND BANGULA, CONTRACT NO. MTPW/IPDC/DORS/01/2020-2021 (Notice of Intention to Award).


Centre for Mindset Change (CMC) has been engaging, following and championing this project for the past year through various means including meeting you, we would like to express our gratitude to the Ministry of Transport and Public Works in the way you have handled the award of this project.

You have kept your word, and this gives us hope that it is no longer business as usual at the Ministry of Transport and Public Works (“MoTPW”).When we met you in January 2022, you assured us that you will not allow any underhand dealings during the retendering process as was the case with the previous process that was halted by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (“ACB”).

Your assurance made us rescind our decision of going to court to stop the retendering process and enforce re-evaluation as directed by ACB.

As an organization, we would like to highlight the following for your attention:

Integrity of the Retendering Process:
1. The whole retendering process has been managed without leakage of information and with much secrecy it deserved. This is contrary to the initial process that led to the Intention to Award the Contract to Mota-Engil which was cancelled by ACB.
2. The speed with which the retendering process has been done (1.5 months as opposed to the 11 months for the initial tender) is very impressive and if all government ministries and departments can borrow a leaf from this, Malawi will never be the same.

Position of the Citizens within the Project Implementation Area Upon seeing the Notice of the Intention to Award in the newspapers, Centre for Mindset Change (CMC) dispatched its team to Nsanje to engage the local communities.

So far, we have been informed that the communities are eagerly waiting for the contractor to start the work as soon as possible because the project is long overdue.

Our team had met Eight (8) senior local chiefs who expressed their gratitude to the government of Malawi through the Ministry of Transport and Public Works for the project.

We will continue engaging the locals in that area so that they should continue embracing the project and assist where needed.

Disciplinary Action against the Initial Evaluation Committee in one of our letters to your office and also to ACB, we asked for disciplinary action against the members of the evaluation committee that messed up the initial process. We would like to follow up on that.

Secondly, we will be following up with ACB on how far they are because our understanding is that those responsible for mismanagement of the evaluation process have a case to answer.

We believe the above interventions will deter other public officers from engaging in unethical practices when evaluating tenders.

Lastly, we would like to encourage your ministry to look into rehabilitation and construction of the whole railway from Bangula to Limbe.

In that way, the economic gains of this project can be maximized.
Yours Faithfully,Phillip Kamangirah, CMC’s Executive Director

corruption, Malawi

CMC pushes ACB for Mota-Engil’s Njakwa-Livingstonia Road probe

Maravi Post Reporter

By Thandie Chadzandiyani

LILONGWE (MaraviPost)-The country’s civil right group Center for Mindset Change (CMC) has penned Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to investigate the project of Njakwa-Livingstonia Road.

In a letter dated March 8, 2022 signed by CMC Executive Director Phillip Kamangirah, The Maravi Post has seen, the grouping wants the truth regarding to dubious tender and transaction on the project.

Kamanga wrote, “In our previous letter we requested ACB to look into some road projects that we cited. It is our belief that ACB is looking into that. On our part, we have been receiving more information and have been screening the information.

“We would like to inform you that one of the road projects that we cited in our 6 September 2021 letter was awarded to Mota-Engil without any tender, and this is the Upgrading to Bitumen Standard of the Njalowa-Livingstonia – Phwezi-Phwamphwa and Livingstonia Loop Road”.

The letter which was directed to ACB Director General Martha Chizuma was not reciprocated hence another one to remind them had been released on 8 March 2022.

The letter also explained that “According to our findings, what happened is that Mota-Engil told Roads Authority that they will carry out this project on Engineering, Procurement, Engineering plus Finance (EPC+F) basis as such no need for tender as they will bring along funding”.

“According to the letters we have received from concerned employees at Roads Authority, this is one of the many projects that the Roads Authority has influenced to be given to Mota-Engl using this route of tricking government into an EPC-F contract yet they know they will not bring any financing”.

The investigations starting point should be the Roads Authority for the following documents “Tender Advent in the daily papers, Notice of Intention to Award, No Objection from PPDA, Clearance from your institution”

“We have done our part and we can confirm that there is nothing like the above mentioned documents. It is our understanding that this project was wrongly procured It is with this background that we ask for investigations on how this project was awarded to Mota-Engil,” concluded Kamangirah.

There has no any reaction from Mota-Engil on dubious roads projects leveled against the company since last year.

Malawi

Malawi’s Nsanje-Marka rail project faces obstruction

Maravi Post Reporter

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Centre for Mindset Change (CMC) has vowed to block the re-tendering process for the construction of the Nsanje-Marka railway line.

CMC has since written the Ministry of Transport and Public Works and sent a copy of the letter to the Anti Corruption Bureau.

CMC feels retendering will give chance to Mota Engil which came out the best in the first bids but is under ACB investigations following complaints from the other bidders.

CMC has since called for the reevaluation of the bids.

But the Ministry of Transport and Public Works says reevaluation is not possible because the bid validity period expired and doing so would be going against Regulation 48 of the Public Procurement.

Regulation 48 (1) reads: “A procuring and disposing entity shall set a validity period for bidding documents that is of a sufficient length to enable the procuring and disposing entity to complete the evaluation and comparison of bids and to obtain all the necessary approvals so that the procurement contract can be awarded within that period.”

Regulation 48 (2) reads: “If, prior to the expiry of the validity period of bids, the procuring and disposing entity requests bidders to extend the validity period of their bids, it shall address such a request to all the bidders.”

But CMC argued that the regulation is silent on whether the bid validity period can be extended or not after it has expired.

CMC argues that the ACB, the ministry and Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA) have misunderstood regulation 48 of the Public Procurement.

“We have consulted our legal team and we are convinced that the reasons that your ministry has used for this are not valid but convenient for your ministry to correct the mistakes of the bidder that you intended to award and give them a second chance,” reads the letter addressed to Secretary for Transport and Public Works dated December 23, 2021 and signed by CMC executive director Phillip Kamangirah.

“This is after the Anti Corruption Bureau found that the process that your ministry used was marred with elements of corruption and that the Anti Corruption Bureau is investigating the bidder that you intended to award,” the letter adds.

CMC says it will get an injunction against the re-tendering process and will also ask the court to interpret regulation 48 that tackles the issue of bid validity among others.

CMC says it is suspicious of the ministry’s conduct because the issue of bid validity has only come out conveniently after the recommendation from ACB and was never an issue when the notice of intention to award was being issued,

“We call upon your ministry to widely consult on Regulation 48 and do the right thing which is to ask all the bidders to extend their bid validity periods if indeed you find it to be an issue at this stage and you re-evaluate the bids,” reads the letter.

In the first bid process, Mota Engil from Portugal became the winner followed by China Railway and then China Civil Engineering Construction.

Last week, in a twist of events, the ACB changed tune asking the ministry to conduct a retender instead of reevaluation which it had earlier recommended.

Lifestyle, Malawi, Top News

“President Chakwera’s Tonse admin running Malawi with bogus characteristics”-rebukes CMC

Maravi Post Reporter

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s civil rights group under the banner Centre for Mindset Change (CMC) on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 accused President Lazarus Chakwera Tonse administration of running the state affairs with bogus characteristics.

The grouping expressed worrisome over Chakwera’s Tonse government of continual state impunity, treachery, tom- tom lies, executive arrogance and carelessness.

CMC echoed with other civil rights in the country that have accused Chakwera of failing to meet Malawians needs in six months in power.

In a press statement made available to The Maravi Post signed by CMC Executive Director Phillip Kamangirah says is “upsetting to realize today that all promises that were fraudulently made in order to rogue Malawians to put this government into power are no longer in their plans”

Kamangira accuses Chakwera for handling some misguided aids and Tonse cabinet ministers with kid gloves.

He also noted with a shock to learn that the Tonse administration for the past six months has procured over 20 vehicles at MK140m each at a time when Malawians are struggling to access proper medical care in our Public Hospitals.

“We demand that President Chakwera should honorably fire the Minister of Youth unconditionally, or else we shall force him to resign The President should tell MALAWIANS who are the people involved in corruption saga at State House with Crossroads Hotel and allow ACB to investigate them.


“President Chakwera should fire his Chief Advisor Chris Chaima Banda and the Minister of Energy for allegedly involved in NOCMA corruption saga
President Chakwera should fire the Cabinet minister who intimidated and threatened a Nation Newspaper Editor for criticizing his government. Above all, President Chakwera and his administration should start fulfilling their promises to Malawians,” says Kamangira.

Despite numerous concerns raised including demos on how Tonse administration is running state affairs, Chakwera has remained silence.

Below is the full CMC Statement.

WE SAY NO TO IMPUNITY, BETRAYAL, TOM-TOM LIES AND EXECUTIVE ARROGANCE


Centre for Mindset Change (CMC) is strongly horrified by the level of state impunity, treachery, tom- tom lies, executive arrogance and carelessness demonstrated by the Tonse Alliance under the Leadership of President Lazarus Chakwera.

We are disturbed with behavior of the current administration on how sheer arrogantly it has become. The Tonse administration under President
Chakwera is running the country with bogus characteristics. This is sad for our hard earned democracy as the country is slowly turning into a Police and one Party State.


We recount with great shock having noticed that Government is running away from responsibilities by lying to Malawians that when voted into power, the people of Malawi will see new things as compared to the previous administrations. It is upsetting to realize today that all promises that were fraudulently made in order to rogue Malawians to put this government into power are no longer in their plans. This is running the country with counterfeit characteristics.


The Tonse administration promised to clear the rubble in the fight against corruption, yet their rule is worse than any other government. They promised to do away.

We are shocked to learn that the Tonse administration for the past 6 months has been able to procure over 20 vehicles at MK140m each at a time when Malawians are struggling to access proper medical care in our Public Hospitals. This is hypocrisy.


They promised fiscal discipline and yet, we have learned with great dismay and anger to have learned that the Minister of Youth had to travel to India just for hair transplant on the expense of poor Malawians. This is hypocrisy.
They promised unity, yet the country is more divided than before.
They promised justice for all, today its selective justice. The Tonse administration has become a failure at birth. This is hypocrisy We are aware of the NOCMA corruption saga in which a Senior Cabinet Minister and the Chief Advisor to the President are directly involved, and nothing is happening. This is hypocrisy.


We are equally aware of the State House – Crossroads Hotel corruption scandal in which State House officials are directly linked, yet nothing has been done even by the Anti- Corruption Bureau. This is hypocrisy.


We are aware that government contracts are selectively given only to those that are affiliated to Tonse administration even if they don’t have the capacity.

This is hypocrisy It is sad to mention that instead of honoring the promises that were excitedly made, politicians have completely stopped caring the needs and aspirations of the people they claim to serve.

It is hypocrisy of the highest order revealed by Tonse Alliance Government under the leadership of Dr. Lazarus Chakwera when they choose to deafer all what they promised during campaign and instead opted for lying. This is running the country with bogus characteristics.

OUR CALL TO ACTION

We demand that President Chakwera should honorably fire the Minister of Youth unconditionally, or else we shall force him to resign The President should tell MALAWIANS who are the people involved in corruption saga at State House with Crossroads Hotel and allow ACB to investigate them.


President Chakwera should fire his Chief Advisor Chris Chaima Banda and the Minister of Energy for allegedly involved in NOCMA corruption saga
President Chakwera should fire the Cabinet minister who intimidated and threatened a Nation Newspaper Editor for criticizing his government
Above all, President Chakwera and his administration should start fulfilling their promises to Malawians.


CONCLUSION
Malawians are patiently waiting for the promises made during the campaign and see how best such good plans shall be executed. In our unstoppable struggle to protect the Constitution, we shall stand and continue defending our democracy unconditionally without being intimidated in any way by any political grouping, and that we shall galvanize our efforts until sanity is restored in our beloved country, and until peace as well as stability returns in our society.
Signed by: Philip Kamangirah, CMC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR