Chakwera demands Lipenga resignation, JB to come home now

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera has called for the resignation of Minister of Finance Ken Lipenga, secretary to the Treasury Randson Mwadiwa and Chief Secretary to the Government Hawa Ndilowe to pave the way for investigations into the Capital Hill financial mess.

But Lipenga has differed with the school of thought that suggests that “a sitting minister would affect such investigations”.

However, at a press conference at MCP headquarters in the capital, Lilongwe, Chakwera maintained that auditors and investigators would do a “professional job in the absence of these officials”.

But a criminal law expert, Sunduzwayo Madise, said there can only be a direct correlation between investigations and the possibility of the investigated hindering with justice if evidence points at a particular individual.

Said Madise: “Yes, in mature democracies you expect people to resign in such situations, but legally you cannot ask anyone to resign unless there is evidence.”

Chakwera was speaking for the first time three weeks into revelations of financial malaise coming in the aftermath of the shooting of Ministry of Finance budget director Paul Mphwiyo on September 13.

He also demanded that “the State President [Joyce Banda], currently outside the country, immediately cut short the trip and come home in acknowledgement of the laxity in the fiscal discipline in her administration and proceed to summon an Emergency Meeting of Parliament to deal with this national financial crisis.”

MCP, according to Chakwera, views the revelations of financial plunder coming at the time Malawians are grappling with inadequate social services “as good as relinquishing the mandate to govern”.

But Lipenga insisted that all alleged financial maladministration is being investigated “without hindrance.”

He said: “I, therefore, don’t understand the basis for calling for officials to resign when the due process of the law is under way. We should give investigations a chance instead of prejudicing them.”

Chakwera’s voice comes amid calls from civil society organisations for the President to act tangibly of face a tax halt from the citizenry.

During the briefing, MCP deputy chief whip in Parliament Joseph Njobvuyalema insisted that was important for Banda to return home and provide leadership direction.

But government spokesperson Moses Kunkuyu said every call made should be one that will bring the desired true results.