Malawi CSO's Confirm Plans For Demonstration Against Mutharika Administration

CSOs

Civil Society Organisations says plans are underway to hold demonstrations in the country against what they call "loss of leadership and direction" by President Peter Mutharika administration.

Various CSO leaders said on Wednesday evening that there is leadership crisis as president Mutharika has failed to take charge of this country as evidenced in number of challenges people are facing.

Confirming the development on Wednesday evening, Human Rights Activists, Billy Mayaya, Robert Mkwezalamba, Gift Trapence and Timothy Mtambo said the citizens of this country have asked CSOs to resort for demonstrations as president has lost legitimacy and direction.

Timothy Mtambo

“People have been asking for demonstration, citizens have spoken, citizens have approached us to say; we are tired of this mess. So people are tired and we as the civil society leaders we will not hesitate to take leadership of the citizens to mobilize them to express their anger through a demonstration which is a constitutional right.” Said Mtambo

“At the mean time we have not decided the date but we are planning” confirmed Mtambo who also appealed to the president to take charge desist from making statements which may further demotivate Malawians.

He hinted that the Malawians who are the “employers of the president”, are angered by President Mutharika’s defensive approached on matters of accountability

“We were crying to say this president left this country with hundreds of people at the moment the country is suffering in unemployment, problems in the health sector, education sector and many other”

Going to the meeting was not bad, he was representing us, but he took hundreds of people. When employers of this president asked him to account which is tenant of democracy and good governance to be transparent in the manner he held this issue, he became emotional, he shouted at everyone. He told the nation that when he came here he was a millionaire. We don’t care about his millions, but what we care is him to take us forward.” Explains Mtambo

While stating that people are tired of the president who can shout at them, Mtambo said president actions are not only signs of arrogance but also shows has lost the control of this country.

“Who is supposed to be angry, who is supposed to shout at the other, the person who is making us a failed country or the people who are suffering?” query Mtambo then said “When someone becomes emotional, banging tables and calling everyone garbage and threatening the media, is a clear sign that somebody has lost direction and has lost his legitimacy. This is why we are asking if the president feels that this office is too heavy for him to handle then he should honorably resign” he said

He also pointed out that the president has contradicted himself all over and that Muthatika has failed to walk the talk and in most cases contradicting himself both in his statements and actions

“He tells the donors to help on the looming hunger the same day he leaves to New York with hundreds of people. He tells the country that a’m challenging you am not going to stop hiring the jet, the same tomorrow he says as a country we are broke.

He challenges the civil servants that we are broke and we are not going to raise the salaries yet he raises school fees for the children. So, where are the suffering people of this country going to get the money to pay for such school fees? So it is clear loss of direction and loss of leadership.” Emphasized Mtambo

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.

Concerned Businesspersons Deposit NAC Money Through Chief Secretary

Asks Anti-NAC Gate CSOs to Cancel Demonstrations 

The concerned Business persons finally return K5 Million Kwacha to National Aids Commission (NAC) through Chief Secretary on 24^th December 2014. The returned money is a pay back on behalf of First Laday’s initiative Beautify Malawi Trust (BEAM) following demands from Civil Society Organizations asking BEAM and Mulhakho Wa Lhomwe to return the money which they accessed from NAC through dubious means.

Barnett Chinsinga the leader of 10 business persons that contributed the funds confirmed to FM 101 Power that the group handed over the money through Chief Secretary George Mkondiwa and were accompanied by rights activist Robert Mkwezalamba of Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) who signed the document with Chief Secretary.

Receipt Document

He said business people hope that following this development the planned demonstrations by Anti-NAC Gate CSOs who are demanding the return of the money to be canceled adding that if they don’t then they are having a hidden agenda.

“Yes we did that,” confirmed Chinsinga  “as of now what we know is that Robert Mkwezalamba is the one responsible for that, we went together with him” but declined to comment why they failed to accompany with five CSOs that are demanding the return of the money.

But he said “What I can add on issue about people who are not wishing well for Malawi, they should stop what they have prepared. They have been murmuring all these days that they want to do their demonstrations because of the money we have returned. So our appeal is to stop their demonstrations, if they will continue that means it was another issue may be they were doing such a thing because of political issues.”

He added that there is nothing which can make CSOs continue for demonstrations and urged Malawians to avoid resorting demonstrations saying demonstrators often became wild to the extent of destroying businesses.

HRCC executive director Robert Mkwezalamba confirmed of his presence and signing of the document indicating that the money has reached government. He said what remain is BEAM to officially write NAC explaining reasons for returning the money as required by NAC.

“Yes I was there, actually there was a document which we developed together with Chief Secretary” a document which he said himself together with Chief Secretary signed and Mr. Chinsinga signed on behalf of business people as a witness.

“NAC falls under the Office of President and Cabinet” he justified deposit of the funds with Chief Secretary on behalf of government adding that NAC officials were on Christmas and New Year holiday when the business grouping wanted to refund the money.

“The idea is to have the money sent to NAC and by the time we had wanted to give the money NAC said they are on holiday till fifth of January. So if you are looking at the process where after the fifth of January we can go back and get the money and pay to NAC or using government system that the Chief Secretary is just going to transfer the funds in the normal system to NAC, but at the end of the day we only want to see the outcome whether the funds have gone to NAC or not and that can be confirmed after holiday” he said

Meanwhile Anti-NAC Gate CSOs led by five institutions CHRR, Cedep, MANERELA, MANET + and MHEN 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.