CSOs want JB to declare crisis over cash-gate
The Council for Non-governmental Organisations (Congoma) and New Rainbow Coalition (Narc) have asked President Joyce Banda and her People’s Party (PP) to stop celebrating the Capital Hill looting and arrests of suspects as a breakthrough.
Following the unearthing of the plunder of government resources and arrests of suspects, President Banda and PP have projected themselves as champions of the fight against corruption.
Congoma chairperson Voice Mhone and Narc president Loveness Gondwe on Thursday said Banda should declare a financial crisis instead of celebrating.
Mhone made the statement at a civil society organisations (CSOs) consultative meeting on the Government’s Action Plan to address weaknesses in the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS) in Mzuzu.
On the other hand, Gondwe was speaking when she closed a four-day training workshop on elections for her party in the city.
But PP spokesperson Ken Msonda said CSOs and Narc were wrong to stop PP and the President from celebrating, arguing that corruption has been a big problem in the country.
“Some people are always negative. Why shouldn’t we celebrate when we have managed to fight corruption which has been a disease for a long time?” said Msonda.
Mhone said the fact that the looting has been uncovered under the PP government does not mean government has achieved something.
He blamed the current government for the financial mess, saying CSOs earlier warned President Banda about the loopholes in IFMIS, but she paid little attention.
“When we met in April, we told her that there were loopholes in the IFMIS. She promised to hold another meeting to discuss the same, but she never did.
“We are now calling on government to declare a crisis so that Malawians and donors can be engaged better and solutions be given from a crisis point of view,” said Mhone.
Gondwe said declaring a crisis would ensure that there are multiple interventions to deal with the problem.
“People are suffering. Hospitals have no drugs, people are dying, sleeping on empty stomachs just because someone stole their money,” she said.
With all due respect Mr. Msonda, when you say you are fighting corruption, what have you done? Owners of these dubious companies are still free and yet all the evidence is there. No one apart from foolish people and bootlickers will believe you on that one. Malawians we are waiting to knownthe truth and even if you dont do it now, by this time next year we will know more about it and hopefully justice will have been served by then.
Malawians don’t waist time with these cashgate peoples party. We must just show them the exit door in 2014, lusifala atakura mtima adamponya pansi. Adamponya pansi Bingu ifenso tizakuponya.mwayamba matama.