‘I am not intimidated’

Rumphi East Member of Parliament (MP) Kamlepo Kalua claims he has been living in fear since President Peter Mutharika gave him an ultimatum to unveil names of seven ministers implicated in the looting of almost K236 billion from government coffers. ALBERT SHARRA asked Kalua as we delve more into his recent political tactics.

Q

What prompted you to post on social media names of ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials said to be sending you death threats?

A

I cannot be intimidated by any MP. I cannot be intimated by the Charles Mchachas of this world or Patricia Kaliatis. When I was fighting for change, she was in Standard Six. I cannot be intimidated by her. If she continues, she will also face the consequences. I am ready for it. The MPs I exposed on social media are the ones given money to threaten me. Even in Parliament, they have been doing this. If anyone does not believe what I shared on the social media, find me in Nkolokosa, Blantyre, and I will show you the threats. It is in black and white

Q

Why don’t you report them to police?

A

I cannot waste my time reporting the matter to police. They are part of this killing machine. They killed Robert Chasowa and they killed 20 people who were demonstrating peacefully on July 20 2011. They have failed to investigate the death of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director of Corporate Affairs Issa Njauju. Our Police Service has been rendered useless because it is affiliated to the ruling party.

Q

How are you living given the said death threats? How is your personal security detail?

A

There is nothing that has changed on my security detail. If they want to kill me, they should do so. I want them to kill me. Let my blood be their fuel, let my blood be their happiness, let my blood make them win elections come 2019. Let my blood make President Peter Mutharika a champion in the world. If my blood will do that, so much the better for this country. If my blood will bring change, let my blood be a sacrifice that these people will enjoy until we meet in heaven.

Q

Government spokesperson Patrick Kaliati has challenged you to disclose the names of ministers implicated in the said scam. When are you bringing the names forward?

A

This is tactical approach. The president is using the information minister to downgrade this story to a minister and Kamlepo level. This is unprofessional on his

part. The president knows the truth. He has the names. If the President does not have the names by now, this means the ministers are keeping the names away from him and they are enemies of the presidency. I still urge the president to dismiss these ministers. The president should dissolve the cabinet. I am not going to rest even if they want to kill me. I am very prepared to die for the truth. If the President is unable to fire the ministers, who are looters of the public resources, let him resign and refund the stolen K236 billion to   Malawians on behalf of his ministers. That is all I am asking for. The president has shown that he is hiding behind Kaliati. The president knows these implicated ministers, he knows where they are, where their bank accounts are, how much they have in the accounts and everything. He just has to take an action. The sooner, the better for his reputation even internationally.

Q

You seem to have the names. Why not just name the ministers and calm Malawians who believe your action is nothing but a political ploy to discredit the ruling party?

A

Kaliati knows that the president has the names. She knows that if the president has no names that means the ministers responsible are doing him injustice. Not me. I am not his Cabinet to release the names. I am not the Auditor General, an Attorney General or ACB director. These people know what is happening. The president has the names and he is cheating on Malawians.

Q

What course of action are you planning now to prove your point?

A

There is nothing more I can do. The only action I can take is to demand the money back. These people should give the money back. The Mutharika administration must give the money back.

Q

Any more words?

A

Since President Mutharika assumed power in 2014, he has never arrested anybody in his cabinet. His predecessor Joyce Banda took an action. Soon after the revelations of Cashgate, she dropped Cabinet ministers and one of them is on trial for allegedly being part and parcel of shooting of the former budget director Paul Mphwiyo. Why is Mutharika failing to take an action? That is my question.

I assure Malawians that I am part and parcel of their demand for the stolen money back. This K236 billion would have gone to the development of this country. If each constituency got K1 billon, what a great change this country would have experienced? You take K6 billion to each of the public higher learning institutions—Chancellor College, Kamuzu College of Nursing, The Polytechnic, College of Medicine, Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources [Luanar], Mzuzu University [Mzuni] and Malawi University of Science and Technology [Must]—would the students be spending time demonstrating? It is the time Mutharika demonstrated that he is indeed the leader of this country.