MZUZU-(MaraviPost)-UTM party has once against said is no longer part of President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse Alliance despite some members are serving the government.
UTM Secretary General (SG) Patricia Kaliati told the Mzuzu memorial rally that the party is not part of Chakwera government arguing that its partner Malawi Congress Party (MCP) abandoned alliance agreement eventually started victimising “Our late leader Saulos Chilima who was arrested on staged corruption charges”.
Kaliati told thousands at Katoto ground on Sunday, July 28, 2024 that “Those claiming real UTM members are not here with us. Why should they claimed to be genuine members when are not part of all our activities we are holding”.
She further disclosed that UTM left Tonse Alliance due to MCP disloyal to agreement towards 2025, “Malawians are suffering today because MCP and its leadership deserted UTM Manifesto that put Chakwera into power in 2020”.
“The Tonse Alliance agreement was between UTM and MCP. Alliance For Democracy (Aford) and Peoples Party (PP) were just witnesses to the agreement. Immediately Aford left the Alliance, what remained was paper agreement.
“MCP abandoned Tonse agreement (UTM manifesto) and started victimising our late leader Chilima. In due course, will give incidences that show that MCP deserted our agreement”, dares Kaliati.
UTM SG assured the nation that the party is coming to take reigns of power in September 2025 and liberate Malawians social-economic ills under Chakwera leadership.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s civil rights group Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has urged President Lazarus Chakwera to swiftly provide food to 4.4 million hunger-stricken Malawians.
The call comes amid media reports that state grain agency Agriculture Development Marketing Corporation (ADMARC) is closing shows.
Addressing the news conference on Tuesday, October 17, 2023, in the capital Lilongwe, CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa said Chakwera Tonse government should stop playing games with people’s lives over food.
“At a time some Malawians have resorted to eating wild tubers, some of which are poisonous and can kill, government’s inconsistency, conflicting, and back-and-forth actions regarding maize availability in the country is a cause of concern for which the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) hereby urges President Lazarus Chakwera to weigh in and stop his Tonse Alliance administration from playing such dangerous games with people’s lives. Food is life.
“Apart from the tenuous supply of maize in Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) selling points, the prevailing maize prices have made the staple food a preserve of those to whom money is not a problem, but how to spend it,” says Namiwa.
He adds, “This is the situation that is forcing the majority poor to risk their lives by eating anything, including wild tubers and bitter maize husks (Madeya) for survival. This is dehumanizing considering that everyone has the constitutional right to food.
“CDEDI would like to draw President Chakwera’s attention to a newspaper article in The Nation of Monday, October 16, 2023, titled ‘Admarc to close shops’, which confirms fears that there is no hope of survival for the poor majority in both urban and rural areas of this country”.
“Contents of the article validate what was already in the public domain, that the country does not have maize enough stocks in its strategic grain reserves, and that no efforts were being made to replenish the stocks.
“But it is disheartening to note that, to some extent, in the said article government creates an impression that it will import maize from Zambia and Mozambique,” said Namiwa.
He explains further, “This impression government is creating is wrong, and a clear indication that the Tonse Alliance administration does not care a dime about the plight of the majority poor in as far as food security is concerned.
“We conclude so, because, in the spirit of transparency and accountability, Malawians may wish to know that Zambia is working on importing yellow maize to exchange with white maize that some of the country’s poultry farmers have earmarked for livestock feed production”.
Namiwa observes, “In fact, as Malawians were reading the said article in The Nation, Zambia’s Food Reserve Agency (FRA), the equivalent of our National Food Reserve Agency (NFRA), was looking for maize fit for human consumption to buy as it explores the yellow maize importation.
“It is, therefore, irresponsible of the Malawi Government to hoodwink its people into believing that Zanbia has offered to sell maize to Malawi. Importing maize from Mozambique is only an option for Malawi, but not feasible at the moment”.
He said, “The reality on the ground is that most of the maize sold in the Southern Region of Malawi comes from Mozambique. The trend, annually, has been that during harvest time in Mozambique the grain moves into Malawi while during the lean period, such as now, Mozambicans also look up to Malawi for survival.
“But that only happens when there is maize here, which is not the case this year. Again, Malawians may wish to know that the Mozambican government does not deal in maize, simply meaning that if we are to get the staple food from there, it will not be a government-to-government business”.
Namiwa adds, “So, again, it is wrong for the Malawi Government to try to make Malawians believe that Mozambique has offered it maize for sale. Even if the offer was there, the powers that be would have to tell Malawians where the government is going to get the forex for facilitating the transaction. Nothing is making sense in these maize games the Malawi Government is playing.
“Then there is a related development concerning an arrangement for the Malawi Government to enter into a 20-year sovereign guarantee with a private company in Zambia. Malawians need to stand firm and reject this arrangement, and they should be worried about this government’s anxiety with barter trade”.
He suggests, “If barter trade is the way to go, then the field should be leveled for all private sector players to play on. It should not be a preserve of a cartel.
“Secondly, if Government wants to change Admarc’s mandate, it should do so through Parliament, because Admarc is a. public entity”.
Namiwa observes, “To make it clear, we have detailed information about the cartel that intends to hijack Admarc for selfish interests at the expense of the majority poor. As the situation stands, Tanzania is the only neighbour from whom Malawi can import maize albeit at a cost of over K1,000 per kilogram since they also used exorbitant farm-gate prices to procure it.
“Since it is clear in the said newspaper article that it was difficult to transport maize to most parts of the country as the maize was in the Central Region, then, CDEDI, on behalf of the hunger-stricken Malawians in the South, would wish government came out clearly on mechanism it has put in place to ensure seamless flow of the staple grain given the setting in of the rainy season in the region that was heavily affected by the devastating Cyclone Freddy that recently washed away important roads and bridges?”
He adds, “Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Committee (MVAC) reports show that 4.4 Malawians are on the verge of starvation, why does the government believe that giving out cash through Mtukula Pakhomo and Social Cash Transfer is the solution? Where will the targeted beneficiaries get the food from?
“CDEDI hereby challenges our seemingly clueless politicians to let technocrats and the Ministry of Agriculture, Admarc, and NFRA make independent and swift decisions that will save the nation from the current food crisis.
“Politicising food is suicidal. Again, the government should tell Malawians when the second phase of maize distribution will start in the Admarc selling points. That said, CDEDI wishes to caution the President that his government’s hide-and-seek games over maize are regrettable and not sitting well with his political ambitions and aspirations”.
Namiwa appeals, “Needless to remind the President that ‘a hungry man, is an angry man’. Should the President continue to bury his head in the sand, and wish away the situation, CDEDI will not hesitate to wear its governance robs and mobilize the hungry Malawians to storm relevant offices, notably district council offices, to demand their right to food”.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s civil rights group, Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) is insisting on slashing maize prices for locals’ benefits.
The grouping is also demanding the availability of the staple food in all corners of the country, the same way ballot boxes are distributed during general elections.
The demand comes after Agriculture Minister Sam Kawale failed to tell the nation on new prices of the commodity which is sold currently in the range of MK30,000 to MK50,000 per 50 kilogram.
Kawale told Malawi Parliament on Thursday, August told the house that 12,640 metric tones of Maize will be distributed across without setting new prices.
The minister disclosed that in the first phase, 10,170 metric tones of maize will go to the Southern region, and 1,150 metric tones to the Central and Northern regions.
But CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa, whose grouping is holding vigils at Parliament Building since Wednesday this week, insists that maize prices should not be sold at more than MK12,000 per 50-kilogram bag.
Namiwa hinted that the current government set up prices of MK25,000 per 50kg is exorbitant for locals amid the ailing economy prevailing in the country.
“The first thing we want to see is President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse Alliance government flooding maize in all selling points across the country, the same way votes are distributed during elections.
“Secondly, Tonse government must formalise the proposed new prices of maize, at MK12,000 per 50-kilogram bag,” demands Namiwa.
CDEDI, however, is against rationing the maize, despite being an indirect admission that the situation is worse than projected, “Rationing will only worsen the situation on the ground as some selfish individuals will hijack the rationed maize”.
Meanwhile, Agricultural Development Markets Cooperation (ADMARC) depots are to be opened for operations.
Chakwera has failed to fix the ailing economy for three years in power.
The leadership has been characterized by corruption, nepotism, high inflation and cost of living, and shortages of fuel, forex, and essential drugs in public hospitals.
Despite numerous challenges facing Malawi, Chakwera chose to go for a 10-day foreign trip without remorse for Malawians’ sufferings.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Former Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) Governor Dr. Dalitso Kabambe has come out to clear the allegation that he has been receiving salary as Principal Secretary (PS) in the Office of President and Cabinet (OPC) for the last three years.
Kabambe on several occasions wrote Malawi Government to stop paying him salaries and instead retire him from the Civil Service and pay him his gratuity and monthly pensions.
Instead, President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse Alliance government continued to pay him salaries.
In one letter dated April this year, The Maravi Post has seen, Kabambe referred to previous other letters as he pleaded with the government to stop paying him salaries.
In a letter dated April 20, 2023, addressed to the Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC), Kabambe expressed his displeasure to the government for continuing to pay him through his Standard Bank account which he says “Should the government continue to pay me those salaries into this account, I will be forced to either close the account entirely or put a stop order to it.”
This is the third letter, which was written to the Secretary to President and Cabinet, raising the same position. On 10th November 2020, Kabambe’s attorneys T. F. & Partners wrote the first letter and Kabambe himself wrote another letter dated 8th January 2021.
However, despite the letter, the government is still paying him salaries, a move that one labor relations expert said could be “a ploy by the government that it wants to use this as an argument in court where Kabambe is suing for termination of his contract as RBM governor unceremoniously.”
Weekend Nation has also quoted RBM spokesperson at the time Onlie Nkuna that Kabambe’s contract at RBM entitles him to payment of salary and other benefits if fired for reasons that are not his own making.
In contrast, the government opted to “redeploy” Kabambe to Capitol Hill as Principal Secretary, forcing Kabambe to challenge the move at the Industrial Relations Court where he is also asking for his terminal benefits.
The development comes as the Tonse Alliance government’s efforts to run away from paying Kabambe’s benefits as per the Industrial Relations Court determination.
This according to political analysts is a trap set against Kabambe on his political path.
Kabambe is the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Presidential aspirant ahead of the 2025 polls.
President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse Alliance government is so corrupt immensely. This is testified in the front page of Weekend Nation newspaper on Saturday 27 May ,2023, which reportedly that government has handpicked bidders for Agricultural Inputs Program (AIP).
This is disappointing and frustrating to the people who elect a government. It’s before daylight theft by leaders in power.
Who gave them the power to do such kind of a transaction? In whose interest is government doing all this?
When a government handpicks bidders for any program, that is a sad situation so to speak. It is clear corruption and underestimating the citizens of this country and nothing else. It’s this what the government can do for the people of Malawi? This is a big insult indeed !
Secondly, this is a clear breach of government procedures and abuse of office for whoever has made this decision. It’s one of the reasons this nation won’t go anywhere but just round in circles.
We need a serious government which can provide better services to its citizens than what happening right now.
Political corruption and the application of wrong decisions by government officials or their network contacts for illegitimate private gain is very unfortunate and taking the nation to the wrong destination.
This is the beginning of yet another illegal business taking place in broad daylight whereby government wants to steal from its people yet again for the fourth growing season in a row.
From poor network in 2020, our computers showing that poor farmers already took fertilizer when they didn’t, to AIP fertilizer program funds ending up in a butchery abroad is enough evidence that we have a government of thieves.
The poor farmers of Malawi are indeed in big trouble and everyone else is dancing to the wrong music.
Poverty is a known factor that encourages corruption in local governments. Did Malawians make a big mistake voting for leaders who were out of government for close to thirty years?
Places with failing economies and poverty sometimes get loans or start aid programs to support the local economy and the people, and public officials are often able to unlawfully take the money or goods for private gain. Haven’t Malawians seen enough of all this? We are yet to see more plunder in the next growing season.
Speaking up and making a complaint helps to expose corrupt activities and risks that may otherwise remain hidden.
Keeping the public sector honest, transparent and accountable helps stop dishonest practices and ensuring that public sector employees act in the public interest. Unfortunately, everything is getting worse in this country.
In a nutshell, corruption increases inequality, decreases popular accountability and political responsiveness, and thus produces rising frustration and hardship among citizens, who are then more likely to accept (or even demand) hard-handed and illiberal tactics.
Economics of corruption must deal with the misuse of public power for private benefit and its economic impact on society.
Economies that are afflicted by a high level of corruption will not make this nation prosper as fully as those with a low level of corruption. Our levels of corruption are getting higher than in the past and this is bad.
Corruption is increasing income inequality and poverty through lower economic growth; biased tax systems favoring the politicians and well-connected; poor targeting of social programs, like Agricultural Inputs Program (AIP); use of wealth by the well-to-do to lobby government for favorable policies that perpetuate inequality in asset ownership; lower social spending; the list goes on.
Finally, we need political economy to integrate political and economic factors in our analysis of modern society.
In as much as just about everyone would agree that politics and economics are intricately and irretrievably interwoven—politics affects the economy and the economy affects politics—this approach seems natural.
It’s our leaders plan well it affects the nation positively, when our leaders plan badly, the nation is affected negatively.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are those of the author not necessarily of The Maravi Post or Editor
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Civil society Organizations (CSOs) claim that those that are corrupt are fighting back by frustrating the works of Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) in President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse Alliance government.
The CSOs including Human rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC),Youth and Society (YAS) Catholic commission for peace and Justice (CCJP) and National alliance against corruption.
Addressing the news conference in the capital Lilongwe on Friday, February 10, 2023, Youth and Society leader, Charles Kanjoloweka said urged Chakwera tonse government to stop petty fights against ACB Director General Martha Chizuma.
Kanjoloweka said the criminal case against Chizuma is not relevant as it is just aiming at disturbing the work of the Bureau in general.
He observes that hiring private laws to persecute Chizuma is really waste of resources regardless them claiming of using pro-bono measures.
Malawi CSOs addressing the media on February 10
Kajoloweka therefore called upon International communities to target the sanctions on individuals not Malawians.
He said they are to embark on dialogue by having a round table with everyone involved.
Echoing, the same HRDC leader, Gift Trapence said failure for the dialogues the CSOs are set to go to the streets.
State and Chizuma are currently on a judicial fight over a leaked audio .
MZUZU-(MaraviPost)-The People’s Transportation Party (Petra) through its leader Kamuzu Chibambo has announced its withdrawal from President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse Alliance government.
The main reason for ending the marriage, according to a statement from Chibambo, is growing corruption evidenced by events surrounding Anti Corruption Bureau Director General Martha Chizuma.
Chiwambo told nationonline that the reason for pulling down from Tonse including the looming hunger due to governance failures, and dubious procurement and haphazard supply of fertilizers under the Affordable Input Program (AIP).
Chibambo pulls out of Tonse Alliance
“The truth of the matter is that all the above failures, wrongs and bad decisions amid several others are not only contrary to what we campaigned for in the 2020 Presidential Election but are also increasingly frustrating all genuine efforts to fight this vice and the rule of law.
“In light of this, Petra’s leadership is left with no option but to withdraw with immediate effect it’s membership from the Tonse Alliance, as it hereby does,” reads the statement.
Chakwera Tonse is yet to respond on Chiwambo decision.
Chakwera leadership has been characterised by nepotism, regionalism, tribalism coupled with high cost of living, drug, fuel shortages and among other.
Christmas for Tonse Alliance key partners— Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and UTM—- has come early despite hard economic times most Malawians are facing. Business, which members of Parliament and national executive committees of the two parties run alongside some people associated with the alliance, have shared MK12 billion as advance payment from Malawi Rural Electrification Programme (MAREP).
At least MK12 billion of the MK21 billion has already been remitted to the suppliers.
The money was paid between July and August 2022 with supplies expected to have been delivered by now.
But so far we found out that the Ministry of Energy has extended the deadline to January next year because it has not received supplies though it is unlikely that over half of those given advance payments will meet their contractual obligations.
Suppliers we spoke to blame shortage of foreign exchange for the delay, though a lifestyle audit by The Investigator casts doubt that the funds might still be in the paid bank accounts.
While getting advance payments for contracts is not illegal, The Investigator tracked five politically connected contractors, and found that one had used his billion kwacha plus advance to buy two SUVs, two extra vehicles- for wife and daughter, bought a house and is constructing an accommodation unit.
Two other political connected officials have also splashed their advances on vehicles, including trucks, instead of project materials.
The Investigator can also reveal that some of the companies are linked to silent partners, including relations of senior officials at the State House and Office of the President and Cabinet, as huge sums were withdrawn or transferred into their personal accounts.
In what has become a trend under the Leadership of President Lazarus Chakwera, party officials and those connected to the ruling elite are being given contracts but the majority have no capacity or are using businesses registered in another field to get lucrative contracts.
MAREP Phase 9 under the Ministry of Energy has suffered the same fate.
Topping the list of contractors sourced from the Office of the President and Cabinet, is MCP MP for Ntchisi South Ulemu Chilapondwa who trades as Chamachete General Dealers which initially specialised in farm inputs, but was allocated lot 10 of Ndawala component of the project.
His approved advance payment is K1 476 331 173.63. This, according to government payment records, was remitted. Chamachete’s bid was worth K4 279 220 793.13 but was adjusted by K641 883 118.97 to hit K4 921 103 912.10.
Sando Trading of Richard K Ndoro under Ndawala Project bagged itself K 1 070 127 336.68 from its contract of K3 567 091 122.27. This makes this company the second highest paid in terms of remitted funds.
The third highest advance payment at K943 539 071.07 was paid to Phoenix Investments whose owner is listed as Ms Lawrence Faith Chirwa for lot 26 on MAREP phase 9.
The total bid for the company was revised to K3 145 130 236.90. The Investigator is yet to get the nature of business the company was doing before venturing into the electricity windfall.
The fourth on the top 10 of those that have received advance payments include Mrs. Getrude Trapence who pocketed K906 669 703.77 through Gemma Trading under lot 22 of the phase 9 of MAREP from a revised contract of K3 022 232 345.91. Though the company was registered sometime back, it is the first time it has landed such a huge government contract.
The fifth highest recipient of the MAREP windfall is Mrs Scollastica Phiri of the African Green Economy whose revised contract is K2 906 545 797.56 saw her company get K872 563 739.27 as advance payment.
The other contractor bagged K767 436 705.87 from his contract of K2 558 122 352.24 and is identified as Mr MacDonald Kuntaja who trade as Micalas Investment and General Dealers who is followed by K540 203 568.65 paid to Bembeke Tradings Austin Rajab.
The total contract is worth K2 701 017 843.26. Bembeke Tradings is the eighth highest paid contractor.
Officials associated with the UTM include Loius Ngalande trading as Loui Holdings Group and got lot 24 worth K1 165 603 799 which saw him pocketing K349 681 139.89 advance payment while Noel Masangwi of Elvis Supplies and General Dealers got K382 917 199.13 from a contract worth K 1 276 390 663.75.
Steve Mikaya, MP for Blantyre City West under his Ezwini Communications, got lot 2 worth K610 775 936.30 and was paid an advance of K183 232 780.89.
We will publish the whole list on December 4, 2022 on who has received the advance payment and won the contracts.
None of the contractors we contacted wanted to speak on record, but MAREP contracts have come under scrutiny for being used as political and corruption leverage.
The Investigator believes in giving those in the story their right to reply.
Those wishing to clarify details on this story please email editor@theinvestigator.news
Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are those of the author not necessarily of The Maravi Post or Editor
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Techno Brain is now smiling following President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse Alliance government to refund MK24 billion for contract breaching.
Attorney General (AG) Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda says government has agreed to refund passport booklets supplier Techno Brain Globalin respect of services rendered, and cost of breaching the contract.
Meanwhile, he said government will meet Techno Brain’s outstanding balance from revenue to be generated from passport sales.
Passport production was recently halted The Tonse Alliance administration terminated the contract in October last year, citing anomalies.
The contract was signed with the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in 2019.
According to minutes we have seen of the three e-Passport negotiation high level meetings between Techo Brain Global and Malawi Government, held on June 10, July 21 and October 12 2022 at Ministry of Finance conference room, the company demanded Malawi to pay about US$28.5 million (about MK29.1 billion) as settlement and contract termination fees.
Out of the amount, US$22 533 333.33 (about MK23 billion) is the settlement amount, while US$6 million (about MK6.1 billion) is contract termination fees.
The July 21 meeting agreed that US$2.5million (about MK2.5 billion) be deducted from the settlement sum, as it was already paid on March 8, 2022 under the first interim agreement.
But minutes for the October 12 2022 meeting, attended by officials from ministries of Finance and Homeland Security Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services and as well as six Techno Brain Global representatives, indicates that Nyirenda informed the meeting that the outstanding amount was US$24 million (about MK24.4 billion).
Reads the minutes in part: “The AG explained that the hand over process under the settlement agreement is a very important issue and there has been no clear agreement on what to do with the source code, and that a handover is considered meaningless without having control of the source code.”
But Nyirenda could not disclose whether the parties signed the settlement agreement October 21 2022 as agreed as agreed.
“The contents of the negotiations were supposed to remain confidential. Suffice to say that the final settlement amount is not U$24 million.
“As said before, government stands to gain over MK36 billion and save over US$26 million. Payment will have to come from sales of passports which have accumulated over time,” said Nyirenda.
Meanwhile, Techno Brain Global insists that it did not flout any process to win the e-Passport contract, saying it submitted a bid in response to an international bidding process following stringent and compliance procedures.
“In a written response a fortnight ago, Anjarwalla & Khanna LLP Director Luisa Cetina, whose law firm is representing Techno Brain Global on the matter, said prior to entering into the settlement, the Government, including a parliamentary committee, investigated the manner in which the 2019 contract was awarded and that there was no flouting of any regulation.
“We note that the e-Passport agreement between the Government and Techno Brain was terminated before the agreement ran its course and; therefore, there are obligations on both sides that have been affected as a result,” said Cetina, who has been part of Techno Brain Global negotiation team.
At the time of terminating the US$60 million (about MK61.8 billion) passport deal last October, Nyirenda said the decision was based on a contractual clause of convenience and public interest which allowed him to discontinue the contract at no cost.
In January this year, Techno Brain issued a statement asking for a continuation/resumption of the terminated contract, arguing that the proposal was a win-win situation for Malawi as the firm had laid an important foundation for the passport system in Malawi, including training of staff.
The deal also involved the introduction of an electronic passport under the build, operate and transfer model by providing 800, 000 electronic passports under procurement reference number IM/01/272/07.
Details emerged that for every passport booklet issued by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship Services, Malawians were getting a raw deal as government made a profit of between MK30 000 and MK117 000, largely due to overpricing
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse government Alliance cabinet ministers on Monday, October 10, 2022 failed to disclose amount of money used during the recent United General Assembly (UNGA) trip.
At the Government Faces the Press episode, four cabinet Ministers kept a tight lid on expenses that were incurred.
The ministers which including Minister of Information, Gospel Kazako, Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nancy Tembo and Minister of Education Agnes Nyalonje
Kazako said the expenses await proper tabulation of figures from the ministry of finance.
Instead Information Minister said people should learn to appreciate positive results that UNGA has brought to the nation than figuring out the costs.
He said UNGA is a very important trip which need the first gentle man to attend himself as he attracts potential investors.
Chakwera with many delegates spent three weeks in New York blowing out forex while the country is grappling with cost of living, inflation, fuel crisis.
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