PP cars in JB’s name, only 11 registered as party assets

As debate on the source of the many orange branded vehicles plying the roads of Malawi refuses to die, Weekend Nation has established that the ruling People’s Party (PP) has only 11 vehicles while the rest are registered in President Joyce Banda’s name.

On arrival from the US recently, Banda, responding to a question during a news conference at Sanjika Palace on the source of the numerous vehicles, said they were donated by well-wishers to the party.

However, documentation seen by Weekend Nation, shows that at least 30 vehicles are registered in the President’s name, a thing which a political scientist has described as “personalisation” of political parties.

Some of the vehicles in Banda’s name are BS 3176, BS 3167, BS 3188, BS 3190, BS 3191, BS 3239, BS 3228, BS 3142, BS 31 88, BS 3171, BS 3173 and BS 3174. Most of these vehicles are bought from franchise dealers.

Presidential press secretary Steven Nhlane did not respond to our questionnaire despite several reminders for the past two weeks.

But PP deputy publicity secretary Ken Msonda said the party has 11 vehicles and that some are donated by well-wishers to Banda as the individual leading the ruling party.

“People’s Party has three vehicles in the Northern Province, three vehicles in the Central Province, two vehicles in the Eastern Province and three vehicles in the Southern Province, totalling 11. All these are second hand cars, some bought by the party and others donated by well wishers,” he said.

He added: “UDF had over 120 party vehicles, DPP had over 200 party vehicles, as for MCP, we can speculate that they had over 100 vehicles. Be reminded that all these were brand new vehicles bought from the dealers, Toyota Malawi or CFAO, while the 11 PP vehicles mentioned above are all second hand, bought from Dubai,” he said.

Msonda said some of the vehicles were donated or bought when Banda was Vice-President and leader of the PP and that they were not branded that time.

“There are two ways donations come; people make donations to Dr Mrs Joyce Banda as the individual, leading People’s Party [and] people make donations to the Peoples Party as a political party,” he said.

“Without necessarily speculating on their [people who donate vehicles] interest, we in PP believe that well-wishers come to us because we are the best avenue through which they can channel that which they want to benefit the public,” he said.

The PP outspoken deputy publicist also said the party regrets that some people who donated vehicles have been linked to the cashgate scandal which has drained billions of kwacha from Capital Hill.

“It is regrettable that we could have well-wishers on the list of those involved in the cash gate scandal. Considering that the matter of cashgate is still in court and under investigation, therefore let us not speculate the involvement of well-wishers in the same,” he said.

Msonda could not say if the vehicles registered in Banda’s name belong to the party or to her as an individual, saying PP has a well structured administration system that takes care of all party assets and that the political grouping has a solid constitution and code of conduct.

But Henry Chingaipe, political scientist, said legally, the situation implies that the party does not own the vehicles but it has only been granted user rights by its leader.

“The vehicles are legally owned by the person in whose name they are registered. The scenario simply means that it pleased the registered owner of the vehicles not to donate the vehicles completely to the party. Instead she granted rights of use of the vehicles to party functionaries and supporters,” said Chingaipe.

Chancellor College-based political scientist Boniface Dulani said it was unfortunate that political parties continue to be dominated by their founders, which means that they have no continuity when the leader either dies or ceases to be in the position of leadership.

“Political parties should be defined by their policy platforms, ideologies, rather than by the names of their leaders. Under the current scenario, political parties only exist to the extent that their leaders are alive and politically relevant. Unfortunately, ownership of resources such as vehicles, buildings, by the party leader, only perpetuates this tendency,”said Dulani.

He said the current situation does not help the institutionalisation of political parties in the country, adding parties should have own identity separate from that of their leaders to ensure they survive beyond the lives of their founders.