The culture of hypocrisy and arrogance that has been one of the trademarks of Peter Mutharika and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) manifested itself on the international scene when the caretaker government refused to meet UN Assistant Secretary General Dr. Shannon Hader. The Representation of the United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) requested meetings between Dr Hader and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation as well as Homeland Security.
However in a Note No. 272/19 to the Representation of UNAIDS in Malawi, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation stated that the Ministers were ‘not available’ for the meetings on the proposed dates. This was an open rebuff to the UN.
UNAIDS requested for the meeting after Malawi Police arrested human rights activists Gift Trapence, vice-chairperson of Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC and McDonald Sembereka for alleged fraud involving 7.4 million Kwacha.The two are some of the main organizers of the recent demonstrations against the outcome of the May 21 Tripartite Elections and it’s obvious that they are a target of intimidation.
According to the Nation Newspaper, Fiscal Police arrested the two following a complaint from UNAIDS which funded the Mango Network, a local NGO working on LGBTI issues. Trapence and Sembereka were charged with fraud related to alleged abuse of donor funds.
The UNAIDS which was reportedly the donor for a project the pair is accused of misappropriating funds from, called for their immediate release. In a press release dated 10 July 2019—UNAIDS said, “UNAIDS regrets unnecessarily involving the authorities in Malawi in its outstanding issue with the Mango Network. UNAIDS and MANGO Network have amicably reached a resolution over the issue.”
The press release further said, “ UNAIDS has not engaged in any legal action and believes there is no need for any legal action. UNAIDS respectfully requests the immediate release of the two members of the Mango Network, Mr Gift Trapence and Mr Macdonald Sembereka, from police custody.”
While I am against any financial mismanagement in both government and NGOs, I am equally against hypocrisy. It seems there are rules for those supporting government and separate rules for those opposing government. Other citizens with serious allegations are not even investigated at all.
For instance, on July 20, 2019, just ten days after The Nation reported on the arrests of the two activists, the paper reported that the First Lady’s charity has gone into business, leasing out donated trucks to Blantyre City Council (BCC) in a deal that appears to have violated procurement rules.
The paper reported that Beautify Malawi (Beam), a charity founded by Gertrude Mutharika, wife of President Peter Mutharika, received the trucks as a donation from the government of the People’s Republic of China in May 2016. However, they were leased to the council as refuse collection vehicles a year later. In 2017, the council paid K22 million to Beam and owes it millions of Kwachas for the years 2018 and 2019.
This is not an isolated case of abuse of public institutions by the First Lady. According to The Nation newspaper, in November, 2014 Madame Mutharika personally wrote a letter to NAC alongside, National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) and Mulhako wa Alomwe asking for funds that had nothing to do with Aids activities. Mutharika asked for K5 million for her Beam Trust, NIB asked for K43 million while Mulhako wa Alomwe was given K9 million.
The paper further reported that these donations came against the background of NAC announcing that it would scale down its funding mechanisms in HIV and Aids due to funding. Civil Society Organization (CSOs) tried to force the first lady to return the money but she refused.
Again today, the same paper has reported that the First Lady has drained 30 million Kwacha of tax payers money on a ten day private trip to the United Kingdom for a graduation ceremony of her son. This is clear abuse of public funds which under normal circumstances would be investigated. But these are the people who decide who can be arrested or not.
The first lady has become so powerful that government departments can’t offer contracts to any company before her verbal approval. All big contracts are now given to companies related to her or those that have made deals with her. She has become stinking rich although she has no salary or any business that could make her so rich.
Among other things, she is now building flats in Lilongwe full with a tarmac road specially built for her flats. She uses her position as first lady to get money using questionable means. She is untouchable. The vigour used to arrest opposition sympathizers and activists can’t be used to investigate her clear abuse of public funds. It’s hypocrisy of the highest order. The UN has just witnessed it first hand
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