The much awaited mass demonstration against President Lazarus Chakwera’s incompetence is slated for October 27, 2022 in the capital Lilongwe.
The country’s civil rights groups under the banners Action Against Impunity, a network comprising Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Human Rights Defenders (HRDs), Concerned Citizens, Human Rights and Political Activists, Non- Governmental Organizations, Faith Based Organizations (FBOs), Labour Unions and the University Students are behind the demos.
Addressing the news conference on Friday, October 21 in the capital Lilongwe the rights groups leaders observes that Chakwera is the chief architect and beneficiary of the major corruption scandals that have marred his two years in office.
“President Chakwera and his cronies are swimming in opulence when inmates in our prisons are starving to death due to acute food shortage; when Malawians cannot afford basic necessities such as Maize, sugar, cooking oil, bread, water and electricity due to skyrocketing cost of living; and when his government has failed to provide a safety net!
“While the economy is on its knees due to forex crisis, his two advisors were seen posing while admiring and showing off over a million US dollars which the private sector wished they lay their fingers on,” reads in part the statement.
The statement adds, “As result of the poor leadership and President Chakwera’s involvement in corruption, Malawi has turned into a crime scene with multiple crises and disease outbreaks.
“It is for this reason that we are calling upon Malawians of all walks of life from all corners of the country to join us in the peaceful demonstrations to be held on Thursday, October 27, 2022, from 09:30hrs.”
“Since the issues raised require executive powers to be resolved, the demonstrations in Lilongwe will start from the Lilongwe Community Ground passing through Mchesi, all the way to the Kamuzu Central Hospital Roundabout and parliament building via the Presidential drive up to the Kamuzu Palace, just 100 meters away from the palace’s main gate where a petition will be presented to President Chakwera.
Meanwhile, all well-meaning Malawians are kindly being requested to join the demonstrations in solidarity in the following areas; Mzuzu, Blantyre and Zomba,” concludes the statement.
Below is the full statement:
PRESIDENT CHAKWERA IS TOO COMPROMISED TO CONTINUE LEADING MALAWIANS!
The Action Against Impunity, a network comprising Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Human Rights Defenders (HRDs), Concerned Citizens, Human Rights and Political Activists, Non- Governmental Organizations, Faith Based Organizations (FBOs), Labour Unions and the University Students, that do not tolerate state institutionalized corruption, incompetence and impunity, is hereby challenging President Lazarus Chakwera that he has failed to use his executive powers to provide the much needed change that Malawians badly need now, just like the way they needed it two years ago!
This is clearly mirrored through endemic corruption, institutionalized incompetence and his insensitivity to the dehumanizing poverty that is threatening the survival of millions of vulnerable and marginalized Malawians.
Instead of walking the talk on the zero-tolerance against corruption and the promise to fix the country, the President has mastered the art of saying one thing in the public and doing exactly the opposite behind the scenes.
Gauging by the nauseating corruption levels, it is very clear that Chakwera is the chief architect and beneficiary of the major corruption scandals that have marred his two years in office.
Malawians that care would agree with us that apart from the usual Public Relations (PR) stunts characterized by unwarranted outbursts to the helpless Anti- Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director Martha Chizuma, the President has shown all the signs of a captured leader.
If President Chakwera was really serious about fighting corruption in the country, then the investigations involving British business person Zuneth Sattar would have reached their logical conclusion by now. Evidence is there that the ACB Director lacks political will and commitment from her boss, the state President.
To put it bluntly, the forex, fuel, electricity and the acute shortage of essential drugs and medical supplies crises point to a larger problem of failure by Chakwera to use his executive powers to call for order and sanity. This simply means Malawi is in leadership crisis.
Almost all the high-profile scandals in the Tonse Alliance government point to either the State House or President Chakwera himself. Here is the basis of our actions;
President Chakwera’s former Chief of Staff Prince Kapondangaga and his own Vice President, Dr. Saulos Chilima, were mentioned by the President as some of the individuals that were named in the ACB report in relation to the Sattar investigations. There is now way the President can be spared
from these alleged corruption scandals.
Dr. Chakwera’s friend and advisor Pastor Mainja was named in the MK6.2 billion pandemic funds that were unaccounted for. The President cannot lie that he was not aware about this.
The President’s own friend and advisor Pastor Martin Thom was implicated in the loan authorization bill that was smuggled to parliament. There is no way Dr. Chakwera can claim that he was not informed.
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Secretary General Hon. Eisenhower Mkaka is still serving in cabinet as Minister of Forestry while the President is fully aware that the minister is under probe by the ACB over the alleged purchase of a Mercedes Benz.
Malawians do not understand why President Chakwera is keeping Minister of Mines Albert Mbawala, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Dr. Steven Kayuni, Accountant General (AG) Jean Munyenyembe and IFIMIS Director Felix Zagwazatha Sato after they were implicated in the
unjustifiable accumulation of allowances when 35 junior civil servants were arrested and interdicted over the same.
President Chakwera and his cronies are swimming in opulence when inmates in our prisons are starving to death due to acute food shortage; when Malawians cannot afford basic necessities such as Maize, sugar, cooking oil, bread, water and electricity due to skyrocketing cost of living;
and when his government has failed to provide a safety net!
While the economy is on its knees due to forex crisis, his two advisors were seen posing while admiring and showing off over a million US dollars which the private sector wished they lay their fingers on
More recently, Malawians were disturbed with revelations that government had been swindled a whopping MK30 billion meant for the Affordable Input Program (AIP). Now here we are risking lives of millions poorest of the poor.
As if this was not enough, the MCP connected business people are smuggling truckloads of Maize from the Agriculture Development and Marketing Corporation (ADMARC) to Zimbabwe and the East African countries.
As result of the poor leadership and President Chakwera’s involvement in corruption, Malawi has turned into a crime scene with multiple crises and disease outbreaks.
It is for this reason that we are calling upon Malawians of all walks of life from all corners of the country to join us in the peaceful demonstrations to be held on Thursday, October 27, 2022, from 09:30hrs.
Since the issues raised require executive powers to be resolved, the demonstrations in Lilongwe will start from the Lilongwe Community Ground passing through Mchesi, all the way to the Kamuzu Central Hospital Roundabout and parliament building via the Presidential drive up to the Kamuzu Palace, just 100 meters away from the palace’s main gate where a petition will be presented to President Chakwera.
Meanwhile, all well-meaning Malawians are kindly being requested to join the demonstrations in solidarity in the following areas; Mzuzu, Blantyre and Zomba. Finer details will be announced in due course.
It is important to remind all District Commissioners (DCs) and some overzealous MCP supporters that Malawi became a multiparty democracy in June 1993, therefore holding peaceful demonstrations is a constitutional right that is nonnegotiable.
Signed by:
JOSHUA CHISA MBELE – Activist: 0888 813 881
SYLVESTER NAMIWA – CDEDI Executive Director: 0993 462 700
LEONARD CHIMBANGA – Activist: 0997 747 001