Mwamondwe, ministry tussle over number plate

Former deputy high commissioner to Zimbabwe, Green Mwamondwe, is still using the embassy’s vehicle number plate eight months after he was recalled from the diplomatic mission.

But Mwamondwe this week blamed Ministry of Foreign of Affairs for failing to clear the vehicle with Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA).

Weekend Nation spotted Mwamondwe using a Merecedes Benz registration 52 CD 91 on Sunday in Karonga during the finals of Mikoma Beach netball and football trophies sponsored by People’s Party (PP) deputy secretary general and newly appointed Northern Region provincial chairperson Frank Mwenefumbo.

Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Quent Kalichero said in an emailed response to our inquiry that Mwamondwe was recalled in December last year at the end of his tour of duty and was advised to return the number plate to Zimbabwe.

“The  vehicle  Mr. Mwamondwe is using is a personal car, not an official embassy vehicle. Where diplomats drive cars with CD registration number plates, they are supposed to return them to the receiving government upon recall.

“In this case, Mr. Mwamondwe is expected to return the CD number plates to the Zimbabwean Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr. Mwamondwe was, therefore, already reminded to do that,” said Kalichero.

But Mwamondwe said on Thursday the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is supposed to clear the vehicles through the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA), is to blame for his continued use of the number plate.

“The truth of the matter is I don’t want to use the number at all. I gave all the documents of the vehicle in December and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is supposed to take those documents to MRA to clear the vehicle and then the Ministry to come back to me. Once that is done I will begin to use local number that second. But sometimes it takes long to do that process and other diplomats have had the vehicles for three years with such numbers. Once it is cleared, I will send the number back to Zimbabwe,” said Mwamondwe.

Using the CD numbers gives one a privilege to be accorded VIP treatment on the road, including exemption from police searches.

The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) has since faulted both Mwamondwe and Foreign Affairs Ministry for the lack of compliance, and reinforcement and monitoring mechanisms, respectively.

CCJP national secretary Chris Chisoni said on Tuesday: “It means Mr. Mwamondwe is failing to abide by the law if he was advised by his employing authorities to surrender the number.

“Secondly, it shows that the ministry has no reinforcement and monitoring mechanisms to ensure that all diplomats comply with that requirement. The ministry is also not keen on making follow-ups. And we don’t know; is he working in another deployed mission somewhere? Zimbabwe being near Malawi should not be an excuse for someone to be driving in and out with a diplomat number [after] he was recalled.”