LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-President Peter Mutharika has appointed former Speaker of Parliament, Richard Msowoya, as Head of Mission for the SADC Electoral Observer Mission (SEOM) to Tanzania.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, George Chaponda, has confirmed the development.
The appointment comes as Tanzania is scheduled to hold its general elections on 29th October 2025, during which citizens will elect the President, Members of the National Assembly, and Ward Councillors.
The SADC Electoral Observer Mission (SEOM) operates under the leadership of the Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation, whose current chairperson is President Mutharika.
The chairperson is further supported by the Organ Troika, which comprises the Chairperson of the Ministerial Committee of the Organ (MCO), the incoming and outgoing chairpersons, and two members of the SADC Electoral Advisory Council (SEAC).
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost) –Top government civil servants and politicians including former Speaker of National Assembly, Richard Msowoya, former vice President Khumbo Kachali, former Chief of Staff and operation at State house Peter Mukhito and former Foreign Minister Francis Kasaila are among beneficiaries in the infamous tractor gate.
This comes as ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs says the US$50 million (about MK50 billion) loan Malawi Government obtained from Exim Bank of India in 2011 to procure 177 tractors and other farming machinery has matured.
Richard Msowoya benefitted from tractorgate
The ministry’s spokesperson Taurai Banda told the Nation Newspaper on Monday that the development means debt servicing has started and that the country is expected to pay about US$58 million (about MK58 billion) over 25 years to clear the loan.
“The loan has an average interest rate of 1.5 percent per annum. The loan has a repayment period of 25 years, including a grace period of 4 years.
“The loan is being serviced from the consolidated account of the Malawi Government, just like any other loan,” he said.
The farm equipment deal turned sour after it emerged that politically connected and other individuals benefitted from the equipment meant to promote agriculture mechanisation. Investigations by the Office of the Ombudsman found that most of the people who bought the equipment meant for hiring out to smallholder farmers got the same for a song.
But Banda said government recovered part of the money from the equipment dubbed as Tractorgate, saying the Ministry of Agriculture deposited the funds in government accounts.
He further said subsequent deductions are being made directly through the government payroll of each officer who bought the equipment.
“Of course, some tractors and shellers are still available and being accessed by farmers. The idea behind the facility was to assist in mechanisation of agriculture activities”.
“So, some tractors and shellers are available at various agriculture development divisions [ADDs] for hire by interested farmers at a fee which is contributing to agriculture productivity,” Banda said.
In an interview at the weekend, Ombudsman Grace Malera said her office is still following up on the Tractorgate case and that there is some progress in resolving issues that were raised in the Ombudsman’s report on the matter.
She said her office is following up on implementation of the directives in the matter. However, she said responsible authorities have achieve 80 percent compliance.
“When you look at our chart in terms of rate of compliance, the Tractorgate is actually one of the cases where the compliance went up all the way to 80 percent in terms of directives that were given,” said Malera.
In its 2020 report, the Office of the Ombudsman detailed how some of the tractors and other farm machinery bought using the $50 million facility were illegally sold to public officers and other farmers in total disregard of the country’s laws.
The sale was allegedly disguised as a routine public auction of government equipment and K143 million could not be traced after the auction. Out of 177 tractors, only 77 were distributed to ADDs across the country.
In the report, the Ombudsman asked the country’s prosecuting authorities to crack down on State procurement chiefs implicated in the scandal. Some of the Tractorgate beneficiaries were politically-linked individuals.
Malera said her office is encouraged with the progress that is being made to have the issues resolved on the matter.
“You will recall that there was a directive that the relevant ministries should issue an apology that was complied with. There were other administrative actions that government ministries, departments and agencies were supposed to do, that have since been complied with as well,” she said.
The Ombudsman’s report also called for an apology to the people of Malawi, which government belatedly issued following a court action.
Two senior public officials, notably the Secretary to the Treasury and Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture were later found in contempt of court for failing to adhere to some of the recommendations.
In a 46 paged Office of the Ombudsman’s (OoO) report titled “The Present toiling, the future overburdened”, which is in our possession after it was released a week ago gives account on how the whole deal flopped and became a pray to politicians and civil servants.
The report gives a clear picture into allegations of maladministration and related irregularities on the purchase and disposal of farm machinery in 2010 under Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of India line of credit worth US$ 50 million.
About 177 tractors and 144 maize shellers bought for the use of small farmers were snapped up at nominal prices by government officials, in a scam allegedly disguised as a routine auction of government equipment.
The tractors, purchased for R740 000 each, were sold in 2014 for R100 000. The sale raised a paltry MK600-million (R12-million), meaning that the balance of the bank loan for the purchase of the tractors will be repaid by the Malawians’ taxpayers money.
Background
Khumbo Kachal is said to have benefited from TractorGate
The US$ 50 million loan was secured as a result of one of the India/African Summit where the late and former President Bingu wa Mutharika negotiated which was meant for three purposes to finance cotton processing facilities (US$ 20 million), Green Belt Initiative (GBI)-US$15 million and One Village One Product (OVOP)-US$15 million
The funds were particularly intended to procure materials for construction of earth dams and canals such as excavators, motor graders, bulldozers, trippers and farm mechanization equipment including tractors, trailers, ridges, planters and rice threshers among other.
The loan was therefore taken from EXIM Bank under Loan (Authorization) Bill, 23 of 2010 which was passed in Malawi Parliament on December 8, 2010.
The funds were in the form of a line of credit advanced to the Malawi government to be repaid over a period of twenty years after a grace of period of five years.
From Parliamentary proceedings which approved this loan, it was clearly indicated that the funds intended to move Malawi from being rain fed reliant nation with ultimate aim of ensuring self-sufficient on food production.
Eventually, Malawian farmers would start appreciating the value of their work while turning the country into an exporting one other than importing nation.
Complaints
With the power the country’s supreme law of the land-constitution vested into the Office of Ombudsman (OoO) under section 123 (1) orders the agency to investigate any and all cases where it is alleged that a person has suffered an injustice or alleged instance of unfair treatment abuse of power by any organ or employee of the government.
Based on complaints the OoO received from farmers and a Member of Parliament (MP) between March and April 2016, prompted the office to institute an investigation on how government procured and disposed the tractors and allied implements.
Malawian farmers were promised accessibility of the tractors which eventually landed into few individuals contrary to its initial and legal purpose.
On the legal aspect, Parliamentary proceedings for passing this bill was done in hasty manner thereby not giving enough time for scrutiny
The loan was obtained for the benefit of the agriculture sector which is the country’s backbone hence majority of Malawians would be affected.
How did the deal flop?
According the report Ministry of Agriculture contracted Apollo International to procure the machinery including the tractors. But tendering procedures on identification of Apollo for this exercise was floated as the ministry failed to produce minutes and tender document to OoO.
The ministry connived with Apollo to procure the machinery contravening the condition of the loan agreement that the equipment had to be bought from a company registered from India.
The ministry imposed itself a procurement entity which raised so many questions what kind of expertise had in procuring such machinery and to whose authority it acted upon.
Soon after the farm machinery arrived in the country including 177 tractors and allied implements, 90 trailers, 144 maize Sheller’s and 48 seed-cum-fertilizer applicators worthy US$9 million, the ministry changed tone on the initial distribution plan to Agriculture Development Division (ADDs) and stallholder farmers selling the equipment to commercial farmers.
The Ministry’s Internal Procurement Committee (IPC) comprising civil servants developed a concept paper titled, “Tractors and other farm machinery ownership scheme”, outlined a different plan of how the 100 out 177 tractors would be sold.
The concept defended its shift from the loan condition stating that in order to maximize the use of the equipment the Ministry decided to loan out some machinery to capable individuals, associations, cooperatives or small to medium scale farmers and civil servants.
The paper went further stated that the machinery would be loaned out civil servants and associations or cooperatives in the recovery period of six and four years respectively.
And it added that the loan will be issued out at the cost of the equipment and small to medium scale farms owners and, will access the equipment through the leasing and asset facility offered by commercial banks.
In selection of beneficiaries, the concept stated that National Farmers’ Association of Malawi (NASFAM) and Farmers Union of Malawi (FUM) will identify and recommend farmers or groups to the ministry for the tractor loan scheme and that the two organizations had committed themselves for the loan recovery.
On the other hand, the ministry was responsible for identification of civil servants, individual farm owners and specific commodity associations or cooperatives.
Surprisingly, from 2012 to April 2013 Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) failed to work within the concept paper until it was reminded to sell the tractors through Cabinet Paper Ref No. CAB7/11 dated April 22, 2013.
The cabinet paper directed that the tractors should be disposed of forthwith by selling them on loan or cash basis to bonafide Malawian commercial farmers in all districts in the country.
“Cabinet observed that the 100 tractors and allied implements were stating idle at the Plant and Vehicle Hire Organization (PVHO) and that any further delay in utilizing them could result in appreciable deterioration, engine cease and economic loss to government.
So far, MoA has failed to furnish with the total amount of loan collected from the tractors sales
“The Honorable MoA and Minister of Local Government and Rural Development should as a matter of urgency instruct District Commissioners and Managers of ADDs to jointly prepare a list of eligible and bonafide Malawian commercial farmers who may be interested in acquiring the tractors for use and submit the list to cabinet for consideration and approval”, commanded the cabinet paper.
By departing from the intent of the Loan Authorization Bill and selling the machinery to commercial farmers, the Executive Arm of government acted contrary to the dictates of the law.
Disposal and sale of the tractors
According to the report on Management of Tractors and Purchased by government for Smallholder Farmers drafted by MoA, 76 tractors were allocated to ADDs against 77 and other 31 were given to government institutions and departments within the sector. And 10 out of 31 tractors were handed to Green Belt Initiative (GBI) which presently six out of ten are operational.
With respect to the selling of the tractors to Malawians, adverts were put in the local newspapers on various dates such as October 1, 2013, September 26, 2014 and March 27, 2015 inviting interested individuals and groups of farmers to buy the tractors.
According to purchasing list of individuals and commercial farmers benefited from the deal which IPC compiled included its own committee members (IPC) including the chairperson bought the tractors.
The IPC maladministration in the whole deal contravened Section 19 of the Procurement Act that demands any person who is sitting in that committee and acquire an interest in a matter that is to be determined, needs to declare their interest as rescue themselves and are not to take part in the deliberations.
The Act further states that failure to a bide by this provision will result in a fine of MK50,000 and two years’ imprisonment with hard labor.
Despite also code of conduct and ethics for public servant’s experts to avoid conflict of interests, none in the committee declared their interest to buy the tractors.
Tractors’ sale proceeds and accessibility
So far, MoA has failed to furnish with the total amount of loan collected from the tractors sales only giving the OoO General Receipts (GR) as deposit slip for Reserve Bank account in respect of some payments for the sale of the tractor both by cash and cheques from different banks.
With respect to the pricing of the tractors, the price value was different and below, and paid in local currency Malawi Kwacha though the machinery was bought in US Dollars.
For those civil servants who bought the machinery using a loan, are being deducted from their salaries and deposited into government Account Number 1.
However, smallholder farmers’ access to tractors through ADDs remains a challenge due to frequent breakdown, high seasonal demand and lack trained tractor operators.
Sadly, there is general poor performance of the machinery, pieces and services particularly supplied by Apollo International Which MoA gave the tender.
The materials which Apollo tendered are said to be manufactured using archaic technology, problematic and earn extra costs when in use.
Tractors beneficiaries
According to OoO Annex, there are 68 beneficiaries including top civil servants, politicians, business tycoons and commercial farmers which ignited eye blows on the whole deal that only few individuals benefited from it leaving the whole population in dark when all in all Malawians will be responsible for the repaying the loans as its bounded by the law.
Some notable politicians benefited in this infamous tractor gate including Minister of Foreign Affairs Kasayira, Msowoya, Former Malawi Congress Party (MCP) lawmaker, Rhino Chiphiko,Khumbo Kachali.
On other hand top civil servants includes State House Chief of Staff and Operation officer Peter Mukhitho (former Inspector General of Police), Rashid Khama Mtelela (Office of the President and Cabinet), Dr. W. Lipita, (MoA), Ben Botolo (Ministry of Mines), Bright Kumwembe (MoA), Dr. Godfrey Ching’oma (MoA), Ivy Luhanga (MoA), Dr. Benesi (Chitedze Research Station), Peter Simbani (Ministry of Finance), Ronnie Phiri (Ministry of Education) Samuel Madula (Ministry of Sport) among others.
While business tycoons including Mulli Enterprises, T. Nathukwa of Beata Investment, Misheck Esau of CDH Investment Bank, and Wuli Trading Company also benefited from the deal.
Office of Ombudsman’s wipe and remedial action on the deal
Therefore, by going through the whole process from the loan acquisition to the disposal of the tractors, the OoO fault government for maladministration and injustice to the people of Malawi.
In accordance to Section 126 of the Malawi Constitution the OoO took a remedial action with recommendation that those diverted the whole authorization loan bill be accountable to Malawians within 30 days from the date the report was issued.
Key recommendation be effected including; “Principal Secretary of Ministry of Finance should apologies to Malawians for buying archaic technology equipment which some remain idle and deteriorating at PVHES thus unnecessarily indebting Malawians. The apology should unequivocal and through Press Release to run in two daily newspapers and two radios and TV stations (one public and private) for three consecutive weeks.
“The officials who were members of IPC presided over the sale of the farm machinery and benefited from the sale should be prosecuted in accordance with the Procurement Act.
“MoA should confiscate the tractor which has been personalized by Tanato Anderson from Liwalika Village and allocated to its nearest ADD.
“MoA should give account of to country of how much has been collected from the sale of the farm machinery against how much is supposed to be collected.
“National Audit Office should audit the three India lines of credit by June 31, 2017”, ordered the Ombudsman, Martha Chizuma-Mwangonde dated October 13, 2016.
Conclusion
It’s a wish of every taxpayer that those botched the deal are brought to book with totality complying the Office of Ombudsman orders and recommendation to prevent the future recurrence of the same.
In the end the tractors will not outlive the loan repayment period resulting next generation subjected to loans that they neither nor their ancestors benefited from. The present generation is tailing on the farms while the future overburdened for nothing.
Malawi newly registered party, UTP legislatures have started introducing their bench in the August House, Maravi Post has learnt.
Former First Lady Shanil Dzimbiri, who is Balaka West legislator (independent) and used to occupy a section reserved for independent MPs on the government side of the House, has asked to move to opposition benches.
Dzimbiri joined newly formed UTM party that is promoting the presidential banner of Vice President Saulos Chilima in the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections.
She asked the Speaker of Parliament, Richard Msowoya – also a UTM member – to be allocated a seat in the opposition side.
Speaker confirmed the new arrangement in an announcement to the House.
Also moving seats in the Chamber were Mzimba North MP Agnes Nyalonje, Mulanje West MP Patricia Kaliati and – Karonga North MP Vincent Ghambi.
Kaliati, who is UTM interim secretary general, has been moved to seat number 119 in absentia, the last seat available on the government side.
Nyalonje who dumped People’s Party (PP) to join UTM has moved from front row to seat number 54.
Ghambi, a former deputy minister of Defence has been relegated to the back of the government seats.
He also joined UTM.
Parliament resumes meeting Tuesday with questions to ministers for oral replies.
OPEN LETTERS TO THE POWERFUL: I will Start with Hon Richard Msowoya MP, Speaker of the National Assembly
Friends, Colleagues and Comrades,
In fulfilment of my rights for free speech as enshrined in the Republican Constitution and an attempt to contribute towards nation building, I have decided to be dropping Open Letters to those that hold positions of influence across sectors. The letters will enable me communicate alternative views as to influence policy and practice as well as holding leaders accountable. Today I will launch the OPEN letters with one to Rt. Hon. Richard Msowoya, Speaker of the National assembly.
Dear Mr. Speaker Sir,
Better late than none. Congratulations to you for being elected to be speaker of Parliament for th e 2014-2019 House. This was a close election. It is a rare opportunity to be given such a role to head one of the three arms of government. While politics of numbers and affiliations might have played a big role in making you a Speaker, many including myself welcomed you and hoped you would use this opportunity to help build a better Malawi. I think many can agree that you have fairly done a good job in leading deliberations as other speakers have done before. Honestly as the tenure starts nosediving ahead of the 2019 polls, your performance is an average one, lacking new innovations and energy to provide oversight especially on public expenditure. During your tenure, audit reports have indicated that some members of parliament, your own members abused Constituency Development Fund (CDF) but the public has not seen your expected drive to push th is matter to conclusion. Issues relating to illegal sale and purchase of tractors in which you are implicated were raised in Parliament too but no word came from you and Parliament has not followed this up to the end.
This letter is not set to focus on your performance as speaker of Parliament but really to look how you may improve your contributions to nation building. Recently the transformation language seems to be your food since you ditched MCP for UTM. We all respect the choice.
But I am very worried with negative signs on your character, may be your political character. In my observation, your recent actions paint a picture that you are bent to block Dr. Chakwera from becoming president not necessarily your desire to help shape a new chapter for Malawi. Bitterness is what we see as driving your political choices. This is not what we the youth would love to learn from you. The if not me then not them mentality.
I also seem to notice a dangerous trait in you about entitlement. You seem so much appear like a man who feel a entitled for the next bigger office on your ladder and do not appreciate the fact that others can as well do it. This seems what drive you to impose yourself on positions even if it has to be someone else to decide. Your fights seem to be guided by the entitlement culture of I deserve this.
To me I see in you a great father with so much wisdom and potential for roles other than being running mate or presidential candidate if you are focused. You should learn that *dzuwa salozerana ayi*. If you work hard things will always come your way.
I conclude by saying, you are a capable candidate to champion values that will build us and as young people we can always come to you and seek guidance. Not learn vengeance.
Perhaps why don’t you think of fighting for another term of office as speaker in the next parliament and deliver more before seeking next high office? You aren’t in a hurry. Are you?
Civil society organisation activists on Thursday stormed parliament to present a petition against the decision by legislators to increase their daily sitting and subsistence allowance, threatening protests and vigil if the decision is not reversed.
One of the CSOs leaders Fryson Chozi said the activists will first seek dialogue on the matter.
“We will first engage the Parliamentary Service Commission which is chaired by the speaker. If this fails, then we will not come here as good citizens as we have done today,” he said.
Parliament rises on Friday and Chozi hoped the issue will be brought back into the House before the rising at noon.
Speaker of Parliament Richard Msowoya summoned members of the Parliamentary Service Commission for an urgent meeting to discuss the issue.
Receiving the petition, chairman of the members of parliament welfare committee Alex Meja said he would present the petition to the relevant authorities.
“I am not the authority to act upon the petition,” he said.
However, in previous media interviews, he said the legislators would not reverse the decision.
He argued that the high cost of living necessitated the increase in the allowances.
In addition, the MPs have also awarded themselves a duty free tax status on the vehicles they want to import.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has admitted that it held a quick convention after the Supreme Court vacated an injunction their embattled former secretary general Gustave Kaliwo took as one way of avoiding further injunctions.
Re-elected MCP president Lazarus Chakwera said this on Sunday night when he officially closed the convention which took place from May 11-14 at the party’s headquarters at Lilongwe City Centre.
Chakwera observed that the injunctions derailed the new agenda for the party as the legal battle between the party and the Kaliwo camp—which also included Richard Msowoya, Tony Kandiero, James Chatonda Kaunda and Jessie Kabwila—brought the party to a standstill as time was being spent at the courts instead of discussing important issues.
“I would like to appreciate the organising committee for their preparations of the convention. Though they did it in a hurry, but here we are by the grace of God we have done it. We had to do it as soon as possible after the vacation of the court order to avoid the running battles on an injunction that was there,” said Chakwera.
MCP has been in running court battles with its former Kaliwo and four others for suspending them in the party after Kaliwo called for an emergency convention mid-last year.
Chakwera obtained a court injunction stopping Kaliwo from holding an emergency convention for the party from July 7 to 9 2017 with parallel structures.
Kaliwo told the media in Blantyre to prior to the indaba then that he called the convention to clear their differences based on Article 40 of the MCP constitution which states that district committees or the national executive committee (NEC) are mandated to call for a convention.
According to Kaliwo, half of the district committees called for the foiled convention.
However, the case was discontinued last month (April) by Chakwera on the grounds that the matter could better be resolved within the party.
But despite this, there was an injunction again at the High Court in Blantyre which restrained the party from holding a convention which it had planned from April 29 2018.
According to a court order signed by Justice Mike Tembo on May 7 2018, the party was not supposed to hold a convention until matters relating to the suspension of Kaliwo and the other four was resolved.
After the order, the MCP NEC reinstated the five in their positions before calling for the convention which ended Sunday night.
However, Kaliwo has continuously said the convention was illegal and that according to the party constitution, Richard Msowoya is the acting party president.
Livingstonia University political analyst George Phiri described the convention as an act towards undermining democracy by distributing positions instead of voting.
Phiri said by just distributing some positions, some people given the positions may not be able to perform.
“In summary, I can say democracy has been undermined greatly. We have also seen gender insensitivity in the positions. They could have allowed people to contest as those who wanted to contest wanted to deliver, but what has happened in undermining democracy,” said as quoted by Nation Newspaper.
Kaliwo, Kabwira, Msowoya and others are yet to respond to the outcome of the MCP convention.
The infighting in the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) is a very good sign that the party is democratic, but needs an independent crisis management, damage control team If you asked me.
I would be very slow to tell you why I have decided to write this piece today, but it has to be enlightened and I have taken a very sober minded stand in what is happening in the party right now.
At first, I was very concerned with the ongoing fights that have given birth to factions such as that of Richard Msowoya, Gustav Kaliwo, Sidik Mia and Jessie Kabwira, but now.
I decided to take it from another angle. This is a sign of mature democracy in the party. It means MCP is indeed very democratic and that people are able to take different stands against matters, unlike other parties where blind loyalty is the uniform for patriotism. It should be noted that in a democracy, everyone is able to express his/her views, but at the end, it is the majority view that prevails.
The majority will speak at the coming convention, for now, here is what I wish to put forward. For starters, it was very disturbing when a letter written by the Vice President Hon Richard Msowoya leaked to the media.
One should be of the view that such high profile communication should be safeguarded with the utmost confidentiality the two sides can afford. I will not stand here to accuse a side that leaked the letter, because I have no idea who did.
It might be the side of Hon Msowoya who leaked it to buy public sympathy or it might be the other side that leaked it to make Msowoya less matured. We move on. Then, after the letter, came the decision (not officially communicated) that the party decided to fire Kaliwo, suspended the rest.
The most disturbing occurrence was the fact that even party youths were pictured going to the headquarters, carrying banners that called for the blood of Kaliwo out of the party.
This is where I am afraid and like some people have observed, indeed, MCP lacks political strategists that are able to manage party crisis. What happened, if the firing is true and the news of possible impeachments are simply wrongs that will be added to the first wrong, of Vice Presidents letter being leaked to the media.
In the end, two wrongs do not make a right. We will sink from one level to another and at the end; we will be bruised to the ground. What people like me expected were not meetings to fire the other fractions. I will explain something later on that. Sometimes, political moves should not be very obvious.
When they become very predictable, we the opponents can easily lead the way, while making it look like we are the ones making such decisions. When Sidik Mia first joined the party and the rumours for possible fights started going viral, MCP hosted a political rally that had all these giants together.
That was very brilliant and it pained our major opponent to that fact that he changed direction of trying to disturb the party. MCP is a big threat to Progressive Democratic Party (DPP). I can say this a million times even in my sleep. It is the party that Malawians are looking up to.
Let me tell you something. No matter how the DPP can try to convince Malawians of the atrocities of MCP, we will come to one fact, the people who did such atrocities are no longer in MCP.
Hon Dr Lazarus Chakwera was not there when MYP terrorized Malawians. Hon Msowoya was not there, just like Hon Eisenhower Mkaka, Jessie Kabwira and most of the current MCP members were not there when this happened.
On top of this, not many people who are bound to vote in 2019 were there. I was young and never felt whatever people describe about MCP and I know there are lots of people like me who were not there.
Ofourse I can remind you some of the people who were there in such a time and I can easily bring to memory people such as Hon Nicholus Dausi, Hetherwick Mtaba and Dr Bakili Muluzi. They were there and of late, Hon Nicholus Dausi has received his compensation package for being there.
Today, he stands on a podium and saays he will reveal what MCP did. I can’t wait to hear what he did. Now, it is evident that what we have is a transformed MCP, with completely new ideas.
God has served the party and cleansed it. He has chased the bad omens, most of who run to DPP and are now standing on podiums and promise to reveal what they did in the name of MCP of their time. Someone is very afraid and it is at this point that MCP needs to be very serious in decision making and strategies.
I suggest, since it is already a rumour that the vice president has been fired, it remains such, let MCP fire and suspend no one. Instead, conduct three massive rallies in the north, central and south.
Tell people that we understand of the infighting currently rocking the party, but the party is working on it and very soon, everything will be sorted out. Tell people no one has been fired or suspended make sure that at such rallies, all the people should be present.
Invitations should be extended to Richard Msowoya, Kaliwo, Kabwira and the rest of them. Let there be no impeachment at parliament and pretend like nothing happened. This will indeed be a new song for a democratic party in Malawi.
If someone has eaten money from DPP, they will be put to shame, especially if they refuse to attend such rallies. Such a move will cripple all efforts for public sympathy and will send a strong message to people that MCP is ready to govern. Then we know that at the end of the day, general convention will say it all.
Believe me, Kaliwo is not a threat and I doubt he can even win back his post at general convention, the same way I doubt he can be of use to DPP. What they are enjoying now is fame and platform that party decisions are giving to them.
They don’t deserve such a decision and it is love and tolerance to their noise that will cripple them, if indeed they are making noise.
No matter what, Dr Chakwera should not be afraid, he has the support of many and come convention, he will be elected president once more. Sidik Mia also has more chances of beating Msowoya nice and clean to be the vice president.
Kaliwo can’t beat Mkaka on Secretary General Posts. In the end, these are simply my views, anything can happen. It is my prayer that MCP will now think of having a crisis management and damage control team, far from the NEC, an independent party body that should come in to sort out issues involving the NEC members.
Dr Chakwera is no way in a position to chair a meeting involving him and his vice president Msowoya. Again, party youth, with no political understanding of crisis management and winning strategies should not dictate what happens to people who speak against certain party decisions. We want to win in 2019 and we can only do it by being democratic, like we have always been.
Lastly, let not MCP be pushed to an early convention. We will do it when time comes. Long Live MCP, Long life to Dr Chakwera.
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-Politician Sidik Mia has confirmed his ambition to contest as running mate for the MCP prudential candidate in the 2019 elections.
The development mean that Mia will automatically face the current MCP vice President who is also Speaker of Parliament and MP for Karonga Nyungwe, Richard Msowoya.
Mia made his position known in Blantyre when he welcomed aspirants that shown interest to contest in the parliamentary elections under the MCP ticket.
During the same meeting, Nyasa Big Bullets’s player Fisher Kondowe announced that he will contest in the 2019 elections as an aspirant MP for Blantyre City South Constituency on MCP ticket.
The coming of Mia to the MCP has brought tension between his followers and those of incumbent vice president Richard Msowoya.
Mia said he would contest for the running mate position at the MCP convention.The date for the convention is yet to be announced.
The delay to state the dates is another source of controversy in the MCP.
Later in the afternoon after Mia’s declaration, a group of MCP MPs met in Lilongwe where they endorsed the seasoned politician for the running mate post.
They said they have recommended to MCP that Gustav Kaliwo be suspended as general secretary saying he has shown gross incompetence by failing to give policy direction to the party.
In addition, the MPs accuse Kaliwo of being part of the grouping which signed a letter criticising party president Dr. Lazarus Chakwera.
The MPs claimed Kaliwo has also been absent for three consecutive meetings of the party’s NEC, which is contrary to the party’s constitution.
There was no immediate comment from Kaliwo as he could not reached on his mobile phone.
Even though we have been tilting at this particular windmill for sometime now, given the deaf ears of our political leaders, we must keep hammering away at this point until there is evidence that at least some small morsels of this important truth have finally been swallowed and digested.
The question that has been asked over and over again is why there is so much furore over the role of running mate (or potential vice president) in our political parties when precedent has so well demonstrated that this is a nothing role, with zero potential for influencing executive policy and the direction our country.
Think about it.
If ever there was a vice president that stepped into the role with so much potential and goodwill, it is the current one, yet so far, the best contribution he has managed are a few tasty sound-bites; “Njoka Saweta” (we do not keep poisonous snakes as pets), and “tisamangochemelera zilizonse” (We should stop applauding silly things), and parading himself at charitable events like basketball, golf and bike riding. Sexy as that may be, a vice president parading himself about like some kind of celebrity contributes very little to the bigger issues of national development.
Is it this celebrity jazz that has Sidik Mia, Richard Msowoya and all these politicians of ours clamouring for the vice presidency?
Should we get prepared to see Sidik Mia or Richard Msowoya in shorts and T-shirt playing basketball as Chakwera leads the country should the MCP be victorious in 2019?
The vice presidency is not a celebrity position to be used in charity events or to raise awareness for neglected causes. This kind of celebrity limelight should be left to the first lady. The vice president should be involved in finding solutions to the country’s challenges. It is a testament to the emptiness and vacuity of the role that when the vice president is in the spotlight, it is only because of mundane caused such as golf and basketball.
Some may encourage this kind of mediocrity by posting pictures of the Veep on social media and cheering him with slogans like “My vice president is cooler than yours”, but have you ever taken time to think whether these displays are why you voted for him in 2014?
I believe there is a more pertinent question that we must pursue: why are these politicians so desperate to take up this poisoned chalice? Only the daft can believe Sidik Mia’s claims that as vice president he will help in the development of the country, or specifically their region as I have heard some say. The vice presidency has consistently been shown to have zero influence in the shaping of this country’s economic direction.
Fellow Malawians, let not anyone fool you. There are only two reason why people are clamouring for the vice presidency. Both are dangerous and despicable, enough to tell us to shun anyone shamelessly campaigning for the role.
The first reason is greed.
The vice presidency enjoys the glamour and the pretence of power – the mansion, the motorcade and the reasonably high government salary – without actually doing any real work. Money for nothing and chicks for free!
In spite of always being left out of any significant involvement in the running of government, a vice president still can push for shady deals to be done and quietly make a lot of money at the taxpayer’s expense. And then there are all the foreign trips and the allowances that accompany them.
If anyone is going around saying “Pick me, pick me” as running mate to these party leaders, it is not because they have the welfare of Malawi at heart. It is simply because they are greedy and heartless, wanting to reap where they did not sow and planning of getting paid taxpayer money for sitting at home in the Vice president’s mansion in Area 12, doing absolutely nothing.
The second reason is simply cowardice.
These pretended aspirants simply do not have the courage to declare their interest in the top seat itself for fear of reprisals from their respective parties’ hierarchies. I asked myself this question many times before the answer finally dawned on me. Why on earth would a person claiming to have ideas that would change the country desire a position where all Malawian know and history has shown holds no sway to transform anything?
It seems to me that after seeing Joyce Banda become president after Bingu’s death, all politicians too scared to challenge their party leaders for the presidency see hope in becoming vice president and laying patiently in wait for fate to lend them a hand and give them the presidency, rather than honourably and valiantly deposing their party leaders in a fair fight for party leadership.
If you think of the advanced ages of those currently leading the most prominent political parties at present- Mutharika, Chakwera and Joyce Banda, surely the most logical thing to do for the politically inclined person with ideas on how to rescue Malawi from this economic decline is to aspire to take over from them and become President, and not vice president?
Our political framework and the lack of true democratic principles in our political parties have created a culture of life-presidents, or traditions in these parties where the leader is chosen once every 10 to 15 years, if you are lucky. Somehow it is not personally safe for anyone, to come out in the open and declare interest to contest at a convention for a party’s presidency.
When someone is even suspected of being interested in leading the party- whether the party is DPP, UDF or MCP, the party faithful often threaten and denigrate such individuals, making them fear for their lives. Instead of encouraging this democratic spirit and fostering the atmosphere of competition so that parties can end up fielding the best leaders possible at elections, aspirants are quickly given bad names and castigated as rebels, rabble-rousers and agitators.
The fear for one’s personal safety and wellbeing if one decides to challenge for the leadership of any of the main political parties is real. There are party cadets that are prepared to kill anyone who is even rumoured to be interested in challenging Peter Mutharika for the leadership of the DPP for 2019 elections.
There are MCP cadets that are so fanatical they will fabricate false stories and make up sex scandals to embarrass and cause grief to a member’s family and friends simply because that member is seen as a potential threat to Chakwera’s prospects of leading the MCP in 2019.
I would have thought that as long as party conventions for 2019 elections have not yet been held, anyone should be allowed to express their interest in leading these parties, and that the more the number of those interested the better? Isn’t it good for Malawians to have a wider selection of choices than to simply have Peter Mutharika or Lazarus Chakwera imposed on them as though there are no other Malawians in these parties that can probably even do a better job as leaders?
As there is absolutely no explanation that can justify a serious politician thinking that the way to change Malawi is through the vice presidency, those serious about wanting to change this country must be challenged to contest for the presidency of their party. The current crop of party presidents is corrupt, suspicious and weak. Take them on!
If I were interested in joining politics so that I can employ my ideas and knowledge to transforming this country, I would challenge Peter Mutharika to the DPP presidency in 2019. He is 77 years old and should really be home enjoying retirement. Also, he has not done anything in his first term to deserve another term either as leader of the party or the country.
Clamouring for the vice presidency is driven by simple greed and cowardice. It is a display of political avarice that should not be tolerated if our country is to develop.
Shame on us for cheering on the cowardly and the greedy! This nonsense must stop.
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