Chiefs clueless on K4 billion

In three successive days, there have been chiefs’ press conferences in Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu, condemning civil society organisations (CSOs) for questioning government’s handling of the K4 billion payout to members of Parliament (MPs).

In fact, the chiefs have gone further to throw stones at the CSOs for organising nationwide protests over the money, and other issues, while strongly defending the payout because “it is meant for rural development”.

But during Saturday’s press briefing in Mzuzu, under the banner of Chiefs Forum, traditional leaders, led by Senior Chief Lukwa of Kasungu, were at pains to explain if at all they know from where government has sourced the money and the guidelines for disbursement.

While others said the money was a surplus from the 2016/2017 budget, and that it was a cut from budgets of the Ministry of Health and the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), others were brave enough to admit that they did not know the source of the money.

Similarly, while Finance, Economic Planning and Development Minister Goodall Gondwe has clearly stated that the money does not concern councils, some chiefs kept insisting that the money would be channelled through the councils.

More interestingly, the chiefs’ statement, which was read out, indicated that the money would be disbursed through the Constituency development Fund (CDF).

Other chiefs simply said they want the money and if there are any grey areas on disbursement, concerned parties must simply meet to iron out the issues for the sake of “progress and rural development”.

Speaking on behalf of Paramount Chief Kyungu, who is the Forum’s vice-chairperson, Senior Chief Kameme of Chitipa stumbled when asked to explain where government got the K4 billion from.

Kameme, who seemed to have forgotten that the CSOs and Gondwe met over the money, stammered a lot when asked if he knew where government is getting the money from.

“I cannot say that this is where government got the money from.

“But we don’t need to go to the streets to march. All we need is to discuss, after all, these CSOs have never come to us to tell us the problems with the K4 billion and their decision to hold demonstrations,” said Kameme.

He also said the money would be channelled to area development committees (ADCs), through district councils, which contradicts what Gondwe told our sister newspaper, The Nation recently.

On his part, Lukwa, who described the impending demonstrations as useless, and unrealistic, changed statements several times on where government got the money from.

“Obviously, this is coming from government coffers, it is taxpayers’ money. This is money remaining from the previous budget (2016/2017). It can be cuts from the Ministry of Health or Forestry Department, it is money that remained, so no problem with that.

“I don’t care where government cut this money from, because it is from the past budget,” he said.

Lukwa, who argued that chiefs are not being used by government, could not disclose who was funding their trips and the press conferences.

He, however, insisted that the CSOs were wrong to demand that Gondwe and Local Government Minister Kondwani Nankhumwa should resign.

On his part, Traditional Authority (T/A) Jalavikuba of Mzimba said if CSOs have some queries over the money, they must engage government for answers.

Ironically, all three Paramount Chiefs from the North—Kyungu of Karonga, Inkosi ya Makhosi Mmbelwa V of Mzimba and Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe of Rumphi did not attend the meeting.

Reacting to the chiefs Mzuzu presser, chairperson of the Human Rights Defenders Forum (HRDF) Timothy Mtambo described the chiefs as sell-outs, and a people who have lost the nerve to speak for the voiceless.

“Chiefs must not think they can just come in and dispute anything they want. People are suffering and they don’t want those people to express themselves? We are not sell-outs like them, and we will not be intimidated by their cheap propaganda,” said Mtambo.

The CSOs argue that the K4 billion allocation is illegal and not in the best interest of Malawians; hence, the need to immediately cancel it.