CSOs seek speedy trials in cashgate

Thirteen high-profile civil society organisations (CSOs) operating under the Grand Coalition have said they will seek a vote of no confidence in President Joyce Banda’s administration and push for an interim government if the State does not address their concerns over the way it is handling the massive looting of public resources.

In a communiqué dated November 7 2013, the CSOs say they will also institute what they are calling a ‘Black Monday’ when Malawians will dress in black every Monday to symbolise the death of the public purse after being looted by thieves.

“The Black Monday will be declared after meeting the Head of State in person to present this petition,” reads the communiqué which arose out of a meeting the organisations held on November 4 2013.

Other measures include:

l Holding periodic peaceful mass demonstrations across the country.

l Conducting a go-slow or stay-away from work to facilitate and in support of citizen occupation of Capital Hill and ensure that the President is in office daily so that she is seen to be part of the solution to the crisis.

l Organising citizen occupation of State houses and conducting vigils and prayers for the country.

The CSOs’ complaints revolve around the Action Plan which guides government’s response to the looting scandal, saying it does not address the fundamentals of the plunder.

The organisations are also concerned about what they say is the slow pace of investigations into the shooting of budget director Paul Mphwiyo; the return of government payment platform IFMIS before a thorough analysis of its loopholes; firing of senior officers at the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB); special treatment accorded to suspect Oswald Lutepo and arrests of ‘junior’ officers in government over the theft.

The 13 CSOs are also aggrieved that despite donors withholding aid over the looting President Banda continues to travel extensively within and outside the country.

On the Action Plan, the CSOs argue that the document is a political tool aimed at hoodwinking Malawians into believing that government is committed to dealing with the problem.

“The Action Plan is unnecessarily prolonging the resolution of the immediate issues as it is not logically flowing from the events leading to the cash-gate saga revelations. Most of the actions proposed in the Action Plan are routine work within the established departments and ministries,” reads the statement in part.

Among other demands, the CSOs want government to investigate and prosecute suspects involved in the looting between July and September 2013 by end of this month.

Between January and June 2014, the CSOs want government to investigate and prosecute people who stole public money from financial years 2008-2012.

Some of the cases they want investigated are: the theft of K400 million which implicated police officer Elijah Kachikuwo; the K61 billion allegedly amassed by former president Bingu wa Mutharika and the Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC) house purchase scandal that drew in DPP president Peter Mutharika, among other high-profile personalities.

The CSOs are also pushing for conclusion of corruption cases involving former president Bakili Muluzi and former vice-president Cassim Chilumpha.

Government spokesperson Brown Mpinganjira said he could not comment on the issues raised by the CSOs because he had not read the document.

Chairperson of the Council for Non-governmental Organisations (Congoma) Voice Mhone defended the demands and ultimatums, saying government has the capacity to investigate the looting within the specified period.

But Chancellor College political analyst Blessings Chinsinga said the demands are unreasonable, arguing that it is too early to say government has mishandled the looting.

“It is too early and there is no solid basis to say that government has completely messed up. So much is going on and until all the investigations have been completed and government fails to act on the investigation then we can say government has failed,” he said.

Chinsinga also said it is wrong to push for an interim government eight months before elections.

The 13 CSOs party to the communiqué are: Congoma; the Malawi Confederation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI); the Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU); the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR); the Centre for Development of People (Cedep); the Civil Society Education Coalition (CSEC); the Malawi Economic Justice Network (Mejn); the Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC); the Civil Society Agriculture Network (Cisanet); the Malawi Electoral Support Network (Mesn); the Livingstonia  CCAP  Synod Church and Society; Cama and the Coordination Unit for the Rehabilitation of the Environment (CURE).—For the full statement, read tomorrow’s edition of The Nation.