The Leadership Institute for Transparency and Accountability (LITA) has learnt with shock the failure by the Chakwera administration to uphold to transparency and accountability in the way it transacts national business on behalf of its citizens. The administration has failed to address corruption, but it necessitates grievous looting, plundering of public resources and impunity. This is not in tandem with the Malawi we hoped for.
The administration has failed in many significant issues of national importance. It has come to our belief now that this government was formed with ulterior motives instead of providing policy direction toward national prosperity. The Malawi Congress Party government has come to destroy the state institutions. Corruption, greed, money laundering and racketeering are the systematic tactics this administration is better known for; to syphon whooping billions of taxpayers’ money for self-aggrandizement. All these are happening under the luxurious watch of the President who was/is a man of God from the charismatic bench.
In scoring the Reverend’s administration, the following verses from Proverbs 29 should be the litmus test to underscore his Christian vitality and be a wakeup call toward his inconsiderate and heartless administration.
“When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; when the wicked rule, the people groan.” 2
“By justice a king gives a country stability, but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down.” 4
“The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.” 7
“When the wicked thrives, so does sin, but the righteous will see their downfall.” 16
Since Reverend Chakwera took oath of office, his administration has been making serious and deliberate blunders which none of his predecessors could have done. It seems the daily wake up thought for his government is to loot, destroy and deform public institutions. What is disheartening is that the President is shielding his corrupt minions. Since the series of looting scandals had been exposed, no one of his cohorts has ever faced the rancor of the law.
It is very nauseating to see that Malawi has no direction as explicitly during the times of the Judges when Israel had no kings. “When Israel had no king, everyone did what deemed fit in his eyes,” (Judges 21:25).
We, as a collective voice of Malawians from all walks of life, continuously get worried with the ever- growing impunity, negligence, recklessness by reverend Chakwera’s administration in serious matters of national concern.
Among them are the purchase of Mwk128 billion worth fertilizer from an alleged Romanian East Bridge Estate, a pharmaceutical company which does not manufacture fertilizer at all. This comes barely nine months after the same government paid Mwk30 billion to a butchery for last year’s Affordable Input Program (AIP) fertilizer. As this is not enough, another Mwk155 billion deal has been signed with a fish and oil company. This is unbecoming and far disheartening especially when it is done at a time when a man of God is in power.
It is not lost on us that the same administration had mismanaged over Mwk1 trillion surrounding the Zunneth Sattar transactions, over Mwk23 billion Covid-19 funds, over Mwk50 billion for tree planting, Mwk750 million deposit at the butchery, and many more financial scandals.
We, as patriotic Malawians, can’t be fooled all times. We are fed up with the political stunt that the administration is employing to hoodwink Malawians. The truth remains that Malawians have lost hope and trust in this government.
LITA would like to remind the President that regardless of his lack of transformative agenda, he has a nation to serve, not a tribe to save. He is the driver, and not a traffic police officer as he claims.
As a captain of the lost and sunk ship, the President must rise to the occasion and seek God to revitalize his conscience and sense of humanity to take care of the poor who are sleeping without food, laying on the floor in hospitals without beds and drugs. Our poor roads are death traps due to public looting of funds that could have been used to maintain our impoverished road networks.
Although Malawians are the best judge through the power vested in them through the ballot, the President should be reminded that God is the supra Judge of men’s motives and deeds. How does the President feel when his government is destroying our beautiful country? What legacy does he want to leave behind? Should he be remembered as the pastor who gigantically usurped limitless wealth without remorse while the citizens were languishing helplessly?
Fellow Malawians, is this the Malawi we all wanted?
We call upon the President to exercise leadership by firing the Minister of Agriculture and all public officers involved in these scandals within 14 days as this will pave way for thorough investigations!
We commend the Malawi Law Society (MLS) and other stakeholders for showing interest to launch an investigation into the East Bridge Fertilizer scam. We applaud the patriotic media for excavating these scandals and many other dubious public transactions.
LITA appeals to the Civil Society Organizations in general; the media, the Church, the opposition political parties, the donor community, and all patriotic Malawians from within and without; to join hands in the spirit of camaraderie to hold the Chakwera government into account. We, as citizens of this country, can’t tolerate with the diabolic looting and pilferage which have already collapsed the state’s economy.
Fellow Malawians, time is now, and it is up! We must brave up, tuck our shirts, and roll our sleeves in readiness for a national reset to rescue our country from these insatiable vultures.
SIGNED BY
GOODWELL LOGEYA
LITA Executive Director
