INTERVIEW: Let Malawians judge Mutharika
CHACHACHA MUNTHALI engaged former President JOYCE BANDA on her involvement in the Cashgate, her ‘exile’ and other issues in this interview.
Why have you chosen to remain in self-imposed exile in South Africa?
I made a deliberate decision upon leaving office in May 2014 that I was going to step up onto the global platform and continue with my developmental work that I have done for the past 30 years. This would provide an opportunity for the current President to run matters of the State without my interference. There is precedence that former President Bakili Muluzi stayed in the United Kingdom for a long time and nobody said anything and nobody called that ‘self-exile’. I have been out of the country for nine months and five out of those months, I have been in the United States from where I travelled to many countries to fulfil speaking and other engagements.
Some of the leaders who have stood by you, such as your vice-presidents, have left the People’s Party. Isn’t it time you returned home to reorganise and lead the party?
In a democratic society like ours, anyone is free to belong to a political party of their choice. Similarly, anyone is free to leave any political party they belonged to. It is beyond my control when members decide to leave PP whether I am in Malawi or outside the country. In any case, as the party’s name suggests, the People’s Party is not run by and does not belong to any individual.
Are you the right candidate to lead PP considering your performance in 2014?
PP is founded on the values of democracy. We conduct periodic elections of office bearers at what is popularly known as national convention. It is the party membership which decides who should be an office-bearer or not.
So much has been said about Cashgate and there are speculations you are in exile to escape your involvement in the scandal. Is this a fair assessment?
It was my government that started investigations into Cashgate following my announcement at an Ecama (Economics Association of Malawi) conference in Mangochi on September 7, 2013 that we shall also review Ifmis (Integrated Financial Management Information Systems); it was my government that set up an investigative committee led by the former Deputy Inspector General of Police; it is during my time as President that we arrested people who are currently answering cases in court pertaining to Cashgate. It is my government that drew up a work plan to completely deal with corruption and plunder of public resources that was subject to regular review by a Cabinet committee. It was my government that initiated a forensic audit following revelations of Cashgate. It is rare in most countries for a President to institute such a forensic audit in government during their tenure. I shall forever be grateful to the British Government for its provision of resources to enable us to engage an internationally-renowned audit firm, Baker Tilly, to conduct the forensic audit. The Baker Tilly audit report was released on October 30 2014 and it is a public document. I have seen the report and my name does not appear anywhere in it. I could not have taken all these steps if I knew that I was involved.
Do you enjoy a cordial relationship with President Peter Mutharika, such as has blossomed between him and former president Bakili Muluzi?
I don’t remember any such cordial relationship between former presidents Dr. Muluzi and Dr. Kamuzu Banda. I was cabinet minister in Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika’s government for a long time and I don’t remember any cordial relationship between him and Dr. Muluzi. So, I will not say anything on this matter.
What is your assessment of President Mutharika’s one year in office? Are there any areas you think you would have done better?
It is up to Malawians to judge his leadership. However, I have always known that in a country where the national budget is largely dependent on donor aid to the tune of 40 percent, it would extremely be difficult to run the country on a zero-aid budget. Experience has taught me that when you engage donors and comply with all what they are asking for, they resume aid. Another important issue is about the impending hunger. As a nation, we knew as far back as in September 2014 through meteorologists that we will experience El nino that brings about floods, landslides and unpredictable rain patterns, which would result in poor harvest. Government should have started mobilising food and relief items in September last year for this eventuality.
What’s your reaction to allegations by Minister of Information Kondwani Nankhumwa that you had a hand in the death of the late Bingu wa Mutharika?
Just like the way many Malawians have reacted, I am equally shocked by that statement. However, I will not comment on a matter that is now before the courts. However, it will be very important for me to put it on record the fact that the DPP government has weakened my security by withdrawing security apparatus. You will recall that in November 2010, while I was State Vice President, the same DPP government had weakened my security and few weeks later, I was involved in a mysterious road accident at Kanengo. The Nation published this incident on the front page under the banner headline ‘JB in a narrow escape’. As far as my family is concerned, the current actions and statements by the DPP government may be history repeating itself.
