Mkwezalamba Says HRCC, Anti-NAC Gate CSOs Gave Him Go Ahead To Represent CSOs When BEAM Well Wishers Refunded K5m to NAC

Mkwezalamba Says HRCC, Anti-NAC Gate CSOs Gave Him Go Ahead To Represent CSOs When BEAM Well Wishers Refunded K5m to NAC

A human rights activists and Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) executive director Robert Mkwezalamba says had a go ahead from his institution and from some of the Anti-NAC Gate CSOs to represent CSOs when concerned business person ‘well wishers of First Lady’s Beautify Malawi Trust (BAM) asked for his presence at an event of returning K5 million to NAC.

Five Anti-NAC Gate CSOs demanding refund of NAC money dubiously accessed by BEAM and Mulhakho Wa Alhomwe, recently disowned Mkwezalamba and Billy Mayaya as their preventatives at the event saying the two were present on their personal capacity as they are not part and parcel of the fight to see BEAM and Mulhakho to refund NAC money adding that even their presence at the event was not justifiable.

“We have learnt with great shock the recent acts of two activists Mr Billy Mayaya and Mr Robert Mkwezalamba who masqueraded as our representatives (ANTI-NACGATE CSOs representatives) at a BEAM/ DPP regime’s orchestrated “public display” of K5, 000,000.00 under the guise of “well-wishers”.  The two have never been, and are not part and parcel of this ANTI-NACGATE struggle being championed by CHRR, Cedep, MANERELA, MANET + and MHEN on behalf of aggrieved Malawians who are desperately waiting for the return of the money meant for HIV and AIDS activities.” Reads the communication from Makhumbo Munthali a Human Rights Advocacy and Resource Mobilisation Coordinator for Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR)

The communication added “As such, we would like to categorically dissociate ourselves from any act indulged by the two earlier this week, and that whatever they did was not representative of us.” Said Munthali adding “It was out of their own personal interest, -or perhaps under the influence of a “hidden big hand” to manipulate public’s opinion or trap us.”

But speaking in an interview Mkwezalamba says he made consultation before attending the event and is surprised that CSOs have changed the tune but said if they find fault in his presence at the event then the best way to raise the matter would have been using proper procedure than attacking personalities.

 “Basically as HRCC is a network organization of over 90 civil society organizations on various rights of individuals including some of the organizations that are demanding BEAM and Mulhakho to return NAC money, so when we were informed by Mr. Chinsinga (Barnett Chinsinga leader of concerned business persons) who contacted my office and said they want to do something for BEAM, I consulted my office and said it was in order. Then I shared the information with some of the five CSOs that are advocating for BEAM to refund the money and this is CEDEP and MHEN through their executive directors Gift Trapence and Martha Kwataine (respectively) they all accepted and said this is good news and we are going to attend the function.” He explained

“On the day, they called me in the morning they said due to security reason for fear that DPP supporters would be present, they are not ready to attend the function but they gave me a go ahead to proceed to sit to preside over the function and I did on that behalf on that basis.”

But reacting to disowning remarks Mkwezalamba said “I think as a leader and as a mature civil society activists, human rights activist, I wouldn’t want us to start fighting over this.”

“The issue should be about BEAM. Has the money been paid back? Are they satisfied or not? Are they proceeding or not? Those should be the issues, but as to why I was there or whether it was right or not wrong for me to be there, as HRCC we have our own internal structures that they can raise those issues for now we came in as HRCC to assist in the process.”

               

He added that he would want to see BEAM and Anti-NAC Gate CSOs sitting around the table and settle differences if any to the interest of Malawians and but put aside disowning issues and attacking personalities.

According to the communication from Munthali says Mkwezalamba and Mayaya presence that the event was not justifiable and claim that “there is more than what can meet the eye, and it would be naïve of us to completely rule out the possibility of the two being part of the BEAM/DPP’s regime orchestrated network of cadres who are hell-bent at thwarting the public crusade aimed at coming to the bottom of NACGATE. Their actions are suspicious.”

Currently CSOs maintains that neither Mulhakho Wa Alhomwe nor BEAM trust has refunded the money, as such demonstrations to press for their refund of money remain intact on 13^th January 2015, in all cities and in some selected number of districts across the country.