By Watipaso Mzungu
The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has accused President Lazarus Chakwera and the whole Tonse Administration of playing hypocrites for failing to come out clear on how it spends government money on public events.
CDEDI executive director Sylvester Namiwa, in a statement issued on Thursday, cites failure by Chakwera to disclose how much the government spent on the aborted July 6, 2020, Independence Celebrations and the expenses he and his entourage incurred on their recent foreign trips to Zambia, Zimbambwe, Tanzania and Mozambique.
During these trips, the President used a chartered plane, and was accompanied by a contingent of government officials as well as some civilians.
Namiwa emphasizes that disclosure of such information is critical in ensuring transparency and accountability, which the Tonse Alliance leadership promised during the campaign.
“The President should know that as long as he is occupying the State House, CDEDI and indeed all Malawians that mean well for this country will never get tired in demanding transparency and accountability from his Tonse Alliance government, on top of constant reminders to fulfill all his campaign promises made prior to the June 23, 2020 court sanctioned Fresh Presidential Elections.
CDEDI, however, has noted with concern that President Chakwera is not coming out in the open to explain to Malawians on issues that are bordering on financial matters. Malawians may recall that the Tonse Alliance partners promised during their campaign trail that they would be transparent and accountable to Malawians on all financial matters, since they would be dealing with taxpayers’ money.
CDEDI has evidence of video clips containing such campaign promises, including a consolidated Tonse Alliance manifesto,” reads the statement in part. “Malawians may recall that the Tonse Alliance spoke so passionately against using chartered planes and getting on board the whole village of escorts on foreign trips, arguing that such tendencies left taxpayers bleeding.
On the contrary, we have seen President Chakwera doing exactly what he spoke against. CDEDI believes that Dr. Chakwera is being hypocritical, and we are challenging him to update the nation on how different the Tonse Alliance administration is from the previous administration, in as far as issues of prudent use of public resources is concerned. CDEDI is expecting to get this response in the President’s next weekly update,” Namiwa adds.
He also wonders why the President has remained mum on the recent scandal involving his State House Chief of Staff and Director of Finance on alleged dubious payments made to Crossroads Hotel. According to Namiwa, the officials should have been suspended by now if President Chakwera was serious and committed to his slogan of ‘clearing the rubble.’
“CDEDI is demanding Dr. Chakwera to keep his word on accountable leadership and give a statement in his next weekly update, on the action he has taken regarding the scandal involving the State House officials. If Dr. Chakwera does not tackle in his next weekly update these breath-taking issues that have been singled out in this statement, then CDEDI is demanding the President to stop these weekly briefs, as they are nothing but a clear example of a Public Relations stunt, befitting Public Relations Officers (PROs) for government ministries and departments, and not the high office of the Presidency,” warns Namiwa.
