Kamlepo Call For Peter Mutharika Resignation Over MSB Sale

There was a heated debate in the National Assembly after learning that the Malawi Savings Bank sale has been reached and the government has signed the deal with FDH Bank on Thursday morning.

The information reached the house in the afternoon and resulted into the early lunch break as members began to demand for more explanations from the government over the decision.

Immediately the house resumed sitting in the afternoon a lot of members of parliament including Uladi Mussa, member for Salima South asked why the Minister had decided to sell the bank yet the house had on Wednesday passed a motion which restricts sale of MSB instead, provide enough resources.

He even asked why the sale was done yet the president announced the suspension of the sale.

However Minister of Finance Goodall Gondwe said “Before we took this action president announced his decision that we can now go on with the sale.”

The national assembly passed resolution to halt to sale the bank when the committee on Budget and Finance on Wednesday brought in the house, a report which recommended government to use other avenues except sale of the bank

Rumphi East legislature, Hon. Kamlepo Kalua while wonder to whose interest did the President had announced the decision to sale the bank made a strong call that “Am therefore calling the resignation of the president of the Republic of Malawi Professor Peter Mutharika!

Chakwera

But Leader for the house in the National Assembly Francis Kasaila tried to rescue the president invain by saying “This is an executive decision on behalf of all Malawians” and added that the decision was legal

Leader of Opposition Hon. Lazarus Chakwera said, the decision to sale the bank was lack of transparency from beginning to end

He said the minds of the executive were made up to go for the decision and set aside loads of calls from the public.

He said people should expect more problems in future and the poor Malawian will pay the price.

He also bemoaned that the relevance of National Assembly on the matter was overlooked

There were emotions as the motion was being debated to the extent that the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Esther Chilenje pleaded for debate of the matter with “sober mind”

Chairperson for Agriculture in the National Assembly Hon. Felix Jumbe registerd his concern in the house saying the sale of MSB is a loss to Malawi’s strategic asset.

He even suggested that Malawi would have recapitalized the bank by asking people to contribute K20, 000 per person which would have raised over K50 billion.

“You are causing poverty to people of Malawi by selling the Malawi’s strategic assets” and pleaded for rescind of the decision 

Hon. Juliana Lunguzi

Dedza East Parliamentarian Juliana Lunguzi described the sale as one of the worst decision ever made and worried if the laws of the land are any important regarding that by requirement of the law the house had presented report which the whole house adopted and restricted the sale of the Bank. She then questioned the relevance of the existing laws.

62 Dead, 153 Missing, 20,000 Rescued; Kasaila Reports in Parliament

62 Dead, 153 Missing, 20,000 Rescued; Kasaila Reports in Parliament

The Leader of Malawi National Assembly Honorable Francis Lazaro Kasaila said floods that have hit the country from the onset of the first rains during rainy season for this year have claimed 62 lives and 153 still missing.

Kasaila was addressing the House on Monday as the Members of Parliament were beginning the first sitting for the 3rd Meeting (Budget Review) of 45th Session.

He said search for the missing persons is underway and currently 20,000 victims were rescued. He mentioned that the South African government has brought in two helicopters for the task of distribution of food and other humanitarian assistance and added that World Bank will assist Malawi government with US$600,000 towards the replanting of lost crops destroyed by the floods.

Commenting on the statement, Leader of Opposition Dr. Lazarus Chakwera President for Malawi Congress Party (MCP) thanked government for being quick in its response when the disaster hit 15 districts. He also appreciated humanitarian assistance coming from all organizations responding to government calls and other calls being made by other International organizations.

People’s Party (PP) Leader in the house Hon Uladi Musa also thanked government for ensuring that flood victims from all areas and districts are being reached out with much needed humanitarian assistance.

And United Democratic Front (UDF) Leader in the House Hon Lucius Banda also appreciated government and all other institutions and individuals that are supporting the victims and expressed his heartfelt condolences to those that lost their lives.

After leaders of the political parties, Members of Parliament also took to the floor commenting on the statement made by the Leader of House and urged government and all well-wishers to continue support the flood victims.