Tag Archives: MCP secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka

Business, Lifestyle, Opinion

Watch out on political-motivated forensic audit against Malawi’s former Central Bank Governor Dr. Dalitso Kabambe

Maravi Post Reporter 5 Comments
Former RBM Governor Dalitso Kabambe

By Nenenji Mlangeni

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawians on June 23, 2020, entrusted Tonse administration under President Lazarus Chakwera and Saulos Chilima with power to govern the nation to the next five years.

With this power vested into the two, Malawians expect nothing more than total social-economic transformation regardless of political, tribe and regional attributes towards governing the nation.

The Tonse administered is however trapped into political, regional, nepotistic appointments and appeasement in running affairs of the state.

No wonder despite excellent performance among some civil servants in various government agencies, are being booted out or sacked because are deemed to belong to a particular tribe, region and political party.

Check on these two notions among Tonse administration supporters;

1. Awa sianthu, sanalinafe pomwe timapita kunsewu polimbana ndi Peter Mutharika ndi chipani cha DPP, (They were not part of us the time we were on streets demonstrated against, Peter Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party).

2. Kaya mukuti Chakwera sakuyendetsa bwino boma, bola DPP tinayichotsa ( Whether Chakwera is not governing the nation well, better DPP and Mutharika are out of government).

These two statements especially among Tonse’ shareholders Malawi Congress Party (MCP) supporters are uncalled for and unacceptable in this democratic era.

One victim of political persecutions is Dr Dalitso Kabambe, whom on July 8, 2020 was fired as Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) Governor by Chakwera and replaced him with a family friend (nepotism and tribe lines) Dr Wilson Tongani Banda.

Former President Peter Mutharika on Friday, April 21, 2017 appointed Kabambe as RBM replacing Dr. Charles Chuka, whose contract expired and was not renewed.

Before his appointment to head Malawi’s central bank, Dr. Kabambe was Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Prior to his post at Foreign Affairs, he served as the Budget Director in the Ministry of Finance, during Bingu Wa Mutharika’s administration.

Despite Kabambe excellent performance at the central bank testified by low inflation, policy rate and local currency Kwacha strength against foreign currencies, Chakwera and his Tonse government thought of removing him.

His successor Banda’s work in just six months is in shambles failing to handle the inflation.

Now after failing to tick at the central bank, Tonse media team especially MCP has now launched a campaign attacking Kabambe on his past remuneration arguing that he was getting MK27 million while directors had MK20 million per month while the current governor Banda is getting MK9 million while directors are carting home MK3 million.

This political motivated forensic audit on Dr. Kabambe is wrong which is targeting an individual instead of the system.

This a plot by MCP to dent the former RBM governor image towards his future political ambition that he was corrupt.

This is not surprise as prior to June 23, 2020 presidential elections, MCP secretary-general Eisenhower Mkaka (now also foreign affairs minister) launched a stinging attack on Kabambe, accusing him of meddling in the country’s politics and helping to perpetuate impunity which he had no basis.

Malawi’s Central Bank

So, here are quick facts about RBM Governor Renumeration which its board decides not a governor;

  1. RBM’s Governor falls into Grade 19 (one of the highest grades in Malawi) when it comes to remuneration.
  2. Salary of the Governor should surpass his deputy by 12.5%
  3. RBM Governor has other benefits such as Leave Grant, Domestic allowances, Disturbance allowances and vehicle
  4. A five year contract for the RBM Governor is given at a projected remuneration package of within MK146 040 432.00 – MK369 036 900.00

On June 15th 2018, the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) Board of Directors had a meeting. As per tradition, Governors are not expected to be part of the attendants. So the then Governor, Dr. Dalitso Kabambe, was not there.

Among other administrative issues deliberated, the RBM Board agreed to revise salaries and benefits. From documented records, gross salary for the Governor was revised to K221,732,604 per annum. These new salaries were announced as to be effective March 2018.

Records reveal that on 26th July 2018, the RBM Board wrote a letter to their Governor, reporting about the revisions to salary and benefits as agreed by the Board.

From these record of facts, it is important to emphasise that any reforms, austerity measures or decisions can be employed without blaming any former or current RBM Governor.

From both records and culture at RBM, it is the Board (minus the Governor) that is the final authority when it comes to renumeration.

So, how sure is the nation that the current RBM Governor is not getting his predecessor?

Chakwera must demonstration true servant leadership not nepotistic type of leadership coupled with selective justice shown in six months.

Human Rights, Top News

MCP regime’s victims start three-day vigil at party headquarters

Maravi Post Reporter

returnees and ex-detainees Chairperson Sangwani Mkandawire (on far right)

LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Returnees and Ex-detainees Association of Malawi, a grouping of victims of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) dictatorial rule on Wednesday started a three day vigil demanding their dues.

The vigil seeks intervention on their concerns from both MCP and President Peter Mutharika which have not been addressed for years since partial payment during Bakili Muluzi era.

The camping comes a month after the grouping rejected MCP President Lazarus Chakwera’s public apology over the party’s past atrocities.

The group described the apology as an insult to the association arguing that was not formally engaged that only talked to his church members.

The association demanded that Chakwera should instead formally meet its leadership in the next seven days and that if this fails, the victims will camp at MCP’s Headquarters.

The returnees and ex-detainees Chairperson Sangwani Mkandawire told The Maravi Post that vigil runs from May 15 to May 17, 2019 expecting MCP and government officials to address them.

Over 60 association’s members drawn from Mangochi, Karonga and Lilongwe are participating in the vigil.

The Returnees and Ex-detainees Association of Malawi, a grouping of victims of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) dictatorial rule on Wednesday started a three day vigil demanding their dues.

Mkandawire disclosed that the only money paid was in the range of MK15, 000 and MK20, 000 as partial payment when National tribunal office was in existence but now is closed.

“We wish to remind Hon Chakwera that it is very difficult to forgive and forget the MCP past atrocities based on a political podium apology rather than through a formal truth and reconciliation process which will facilitate justice for all the victims.

“After three days of vigil elapses, we will go back to the drawing board what next move to take as we have suffered a lot for year on this matter”, said Mkandawire.

Instead responding to concerns former detainees raised, MCP Secretary General Eisenhower Mkaka resorted to threaten the Maravi Post “claiming that it covers the party unfairly”.

The MCP SG made the threats in the presence of other reporters from various media houses including MIJ FM, MBC, Nyasa Times, Luso TV and Nation Publication Limited.

“I can’t grant an interview to Maravi Post. We will deal with you after May 21. We there,” threatens Mkaka.

On 17th March 2019, during prayers held in Malawi’s Capital Lilongwe, Chakwera made an apology over MCP’s “evil” past and sought for forgiveness.

During the prayers, MCP is alleged to have fronted a supposedly son of another victim who accepted the apology on behalf of all the victims, a development which has angered the returnees and ex-detainees.

Politics, Top News

MEC snubs MCP on interpretation of voters’ intent

Maravi Post Reporter

The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has rebuffed calls by opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) to incorporate interpretation of voters’ intent in the commission’s polling guidelines for the 2019 Tripartite Elections.

MCP had argued that establishment of a new regulation that can translate the ultimate intention of non-specific voters can help to reduce the number of null and void votes in next year’s elections.

But MEC chairperson Jane Ansah said the country’s electoral laws are clear on the voting processes.

“It is clear in our [civic and voter education] CVE [procedure]. The cancellation and the ticking can be one. Someone can choose to tick [on more than one choice] while another person can cross [the same]. So, how do you determine which one, even if they have cancelled?

“But we will continue working with political parties so that we are on the same [page]. Before we do polling, we are going to have [more] stakeholders meetings, and we urge all those that are not clear about these issues to let us know,” she said.

Ansah, who is a judge of the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal, wondered why political parties were raising such critical issues in the media, arguing that the parties never raised such concerns at a recent stakeholders meeting MEC held with them alongside the Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD) and the National Elections Consultative Forum (Necof).

She admitted that MEC has not looked at National Initiative for Civic Education (Nice) Trust recommendations over seven months after they were presented last October.

In an interview with Nation on Sunday, MCP secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka said his party was in support of a recommendation by Nice Trust advising MEC to swiftly address key deficiencies that amplified invalid votes in both the 2014 Tripartite Elections and the October 2017 Ey-elections.

He said: “I think it is critical. As Nice put it [after the by-elections], we really need to establish the intention [of voters] because sometimes you clearly see that [they wanted] to tick in this box, but because the marking spilled over to the next box then they say the ballot paper is invalid.”

Mkaka said creating a legitimate interpretation for voters’ faulty decisions, mainly where marked ballots lack exactness and accuracy of expression, would enable MEC to accommodate thousands of electorates who accidentally make mistakes during the voting process.

MEC statistics show that out of 7.4 million Malawians who registered for the 2014 elections, about 5.2 million votes were valid while over 50 000 were null and void, representing 1.07 percent of the total voter turnout.

CMD executive director Kizito Tenthani therefore appeals to all electoral stakeholders in the country to intensify mobilisation of people ahead of the first phase of the voter registration exercise which starts on June 26 to July 9 in Kasungu Municipality, Mchinji, Dowa, Ntchisi, Nkhotakota and Kasungu districts.

In its Preliminary Report on Observations and Recommendations of the October 2017 By-elections, Nice, called on MEC to preserve the credibility of elections in the country by ensuring transparency in determining null and void votes to avoid confusion in the forthcoming elections.