Former governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has made a part payment of a refund to some State agencies collected as fundraising contributions during its era, but civil society organisations (CSOs) have expressed reservations with delays.
The payment follows a June 1 2023 judgement by High Court of Malawi Judge Zione Ntaba which ordered the party to refund K13.5 million donated by State entities. The court further restrained political parties from sourcing or receiving donations from public institutions.
But documentation The Nation has seen shows that DPP has only paid K3.5 million through the CSOs’ lawyer, meant for Lilongwe Water Board (LWB).
Reacting to the gesture yesterday, Centre for the Development of People (Cedep) executive director Gift Trapance said while the part payment is a strong warning to political parties against abusing public resources, they were not happy that the DPP has not yet fulfilled all orders of the court.
He said: “It is important to take note that they have not respected the court order to publish the list of blue night statutory contributions. Again they have missed the dead line of the court order.
“We will advise our lawyers to continue to push for contempt of court to have these leaders locked up.”
Lawyer representing the CSOs, Wesley Mwafulirwa, confirmed receipt of the payment, but was yet to engage his clients on other matters.
But DPP lawyer Chimwemwe Sikwese said not all the money mentioned was donated as other figures were only pledges.
Reacting to the development, Centre for Social Transparency and Accountability executive director Willy Kambwandira said it was high time Malawians got serious in pushing for the implementation of the political party financing law.
“There is need for strong oversight from citizens, media and CSOs to push for implementation of political party law and related sanctions,” he said.
On his part, political pundit Wonderful Mkhutche also stressed the need to follow up on party funding, saying, parties have to declare the sources of their income as stipulated in the Political Party Act (2018).
“In reality, this action has done little. The judgement is just a drop in the ocean,” he said.
In 2020, the parastatals that pledged or donated money to the party withdrew from the case having signed consent orders.
DPP received donations from parastatals and some city councils during its fundraising dinner dubbed Blue Night on July 28 2017, a move that prompted Cedep, Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation, Youth and Society, Human Rights Consultative Committee and CCAP Livingstonia Synod’s Church and Society Programme to drag the parties to court.
Earlier, Malawi Law Society president Patrick Mpaka said the judgement was a useful build up and contribution to constitutionalism.
