Prison rejects DPP food, drugs aid
Authorities at Maula Prison on Wednesday sent back four DPP pick-ups carrying maize bags and drugs which the party wanted to donate after the prison went three days without food
The donation, worth about K1 million (about $2 500), was welcomed by cheers and ululation by inmates who flocked to the vehicles and were ready to off-load the maize bags and cartons of drugs.
However, prison officials dragged the DPP officials aside where they blocked the donation, saying their top authorities were not aware of it.
Chief Commissioner of Malawi Prison Service Kennedy Nkhoma confirmed in an interview yesterday that Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) did not follow procedures and that his office was not alerted of the donation.
The party claimed its donation was a response to reports that the food storage facilities at the prison were empty and that the available maize would not last the festive season.
Said DPP president Peter Mutharika’s personal assistant Ben Phiri who led the donation team: “We came here to make this donation on behalf of the DPP president [Peter Mutharika] who is abroad. We followed all procedures and officials here told us to come on New Year Day because everybody is allowed to make any donation on this day.
“However, we are surprised to hear that we cannot make this donation. They say someone above is not pleased with [the donation] hence we must return.”
Phiri claimed that some officials told them that the donation would have been accepted if DPP party colours, vehicles and officials were not involved.
But Nkhoma insisted there was nothing political about sending back the donation because the procedure that party officials used was wrong.
“Any food or drug that is donated to prison is supposed to be examined by our special doctors. However, the DPP did not give us notice in good time so that we should have these doctors around. That is why they were returned,” said Nkhoma.
Prison officers who refused to be named said they referred the matter to officials at prison headquarters in Zomba for intervention.
The decision to return the aid sparked anger among some inmates who started booing the prison officials and singing bad songs about government.
Phiri said the party will donate the maize in Traditional Authority Tambala’s area in Dedza where media recently reported that people are in dire need of food.
This is madness of the worst kind. Somebody cannot accept provision of basic human needs because of political reasons. Really?
Boma lathu silizachita zimenezi, moyo wamunthu ndiwofunikira kuposa ndale. Mcp boma
apapa zaonetseratu kuti mumakondwa ena akamavutika.akakhala pa ntendere zimakuwawani.
ndale mukupangila pa moyo wa munthu?bwanji osapangila zinthu zina osati chakudyachi?
mwina poti achibale anu sangamangidwe mkona muona kusafunika kwa chakudya eti?
mulungu aku langani pansi pompano.
Nkhani ili apa ndi ya ndale zachimizimizi, paja iwowa a DPP ankachitanso zomwezi kwa Amayiwa…nde potinso Amayiwa ndi achimizi kwambiri akubwezera. My plea to the youth we should not be involved in this cheap politics, its good come 2014 to hand the mantle of leadership to the one we feel can take Malawian to another level
She said if anybody wants to give out maize to Poor malawians she/he can go.
I (JB) am sharing what is mine if you have yours you can go.
Peter shared what is his and why would someone dares to bar him from doing so?
KOma mwati amayiwa kuchokera kokamuna ndi mtumiki wa Mulungu?
Very bad the inmates wil die because of selfness Zikakuvutani kumvomereza
Am asking the inmates to riot and break the prison. The government is not giving them food now some Malawian comes and to assist the failing government, the failing government then refuses. There is hunger everywhere in Malawi and JB sees this as an opportunity. We dont want a leader who takes pride in other people’s misfortunes.
procedure imadyedwa?
if the reason for sending it back is because any doctor didn’t test the food and drugs, why then couldn’t those officials accept the food and call the doctor themselves to test the food rather than rejecting it? and also who has the authority to reject the food? the one who has been hungry for three days or the one who has energy to talk because his stomach is full? I guess it’s the hungry man, so why couldn’t they let the hungry prisoners to make a decision on their own? it’s their stomach and life.Being at prison doesn’t mean they are wrong, some of them were just accused.
I’m sure they rejected it for political reasons and they should not deny this. I have seen people bringing things to prisoners in Ntcheu and they don’t follow all these procedures you are talking about. Or should we say that Ntcheu doesn’t have doctors to do the test? Wake up Malawi and listen to Skeffa Chimoto’s song, whether DPP,MCP, UDF, PP or whatever you can call it, it’s still Malawi. Dziko ndi lanthu ili koma anthu tikuliononga tokha. had it been the food was brought by some white people, I guess they would accept it automatically.
I’m searching the meaning of civilization but I guess Malawi has more to do to be called civilized.
Malawi for Malawians (not just for PP, DPP, UDF, MCP..or whatever.).
It is very sad to learn of this painful story which has infringed right of the poor prisoners who are already at pain for being away from their relatives. And here is somebody who want to relieve them from that pain of isolation by giving them some food. reading between the lines in the story, I hear of some doctors being mentioned. Really do you think the Leader of a party would be so cruel to kill the whole lot of those prisoners in that particular prison by giving them poisoned food or drugs ? Ohoooo! No Malawians lets learn at least to use our senses right. Now which doctor examines all these food hand outs we are receiving in the villages. Are these doctors needed especially for the food to be donated to the prison. The prisons are full of people of different parties. Why should one leader dire to get rid of the whole prison while he/she well know that some of his own supporters are among them? Think twice before acting.!!!!!!!
Mayi wazikoli ndi munthu woyipa zedi. Ndithu ndavomereza kuti mfiti yayikazi ndiyoyipa mtima kwambiri. Osandaula a Dpp chaka tachiyamba ichi posachedwapa asanzika ife nkutenga boma Dzuwa liri phwee! DPP woyeeeeeeeeee!! Munali ndi mtima wopatsa koma mfiti yayikazi yamenyetsa nkhwangwa pamwala.
Nkhani imeneyi ofunika kuitchukitsa chonchi amalawi ambiri aimve,,aone kuipa mtima kwa Mtsogoleri tili naye yu
It’s a shame that joyce banda and her cohorts are in still dinasour’s era when we are in the 21st century and celebrating 50 years of independence. Go go go Austin Atupere Muluzi we should change our politics to develope Malawi