By Watipaso Mzungu

The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) says all is set for peaceful demonstrations against punitive taxes, levies, interest rates, exorbitant mobile phone tariffs and theft of K6.2 billion Covid-19 funds.

CDEDI has mobilized Malawians to take to the streets tomorrow following the decision by the Tonse government not to remove value added tax (VAT) and other taxes of essentials goods such as edible cooking oil.

The organization had initially given the government seven days to comply or face nationwide protests.

CDEDI executive director Sylvester Namiwa told Nyasa Times this morning that all is set for the holding of the demonstrations.

“In Lilongwe, the demonstrations will start at 9 am from Lilongwe Community Centre Ground to the Civic Offices in City Centre via Mchesi. In Blantyre, the peaceful demonstrations will start at 9 am from the Kamuzu Upper Stadium to the Civic Offices via the Highway passing through Ginnery corner roundabout. In Mulanje the peaceful demonstrations will start at 9 am from Nkhonya to the Council Offices via Chitakale,” said Namiwa, adding that petitions will be delivered in all the mentioned councils.

He said as a law-abiding institution, CDEDI wrote the following city authorities and councils in order to inform them about the scheduled peaceful demonstrations in Mzuzu, Lilongwe, Blantyre Cities; and Mulanje district council.

The law states that holding a peaceful demonstration is a constitutional right, but the convener should notify the authorities at least 48 hours before the date of the demonstration.

However, although CDEDI wrote the letters on Monday April 14, 2021, it is only the Mzuzu City Council that responded promptly by calling for a planning meeting that was held at the council chambers on Friday, 16 April 2021.

The meeting resolved to reschedule the protests due to the Vice President Dr. Saulosi Chilima’s official visit to the region, a development the city authorities said would strain security agents.

Namiwa said this means that tomorrow; the demonstrations will not take place in Mzuzu.

“The silence from the rest of the councils is a futile attempt to deny Malawians their right to hold peaceful demonstrations. Additionally, it is a clear case of impunity and arrogance that is being displayed in our public offices. On the other hand, it is evidence enough that the Malawi Congress Party’s (MCP) regime is in itself a threat to the future of our hard earned democracy,” he said.

He said CDEDI is keen to liberate Malawians from decades of economic bondage by demanding the immediate removal of 16.5 percent VAT on cooking oil.

The organization is also demanding the commencement of the review and subsequent removal of some of the taxes and levies on fuel, water and electricity, in a bid to reduce the cost of production, thereby making the local products and services more affordable and accessible to the ordinary Malawians, who are also the voters.

Namiwa emphasized that Malawians are currently struggling to make ends meet due to among many others, the high cost of living, which is as a result of high cost of essential commodities and services such as water, electricity, cooking oil, fuel and mobile phone charges.

“CDEDI is therefore is informing all well-meaning Malawians and patriotic citizens that it will lead nationwide protests against punitive taxes, levies, interest rates, exorbitant mobile phone call charges and data and the massive plunder and theft of the Covid-19 funds. All these malpractices are mercilessly punishing the vulnerable and the marginalized in society. These peaceful demonstrations are scheduled to take place this Wednesday, 21st April 2021, in the cities of Lilongwe and Blantyre, and Mulanje district,” he said.

“The dressing code during these demonstrations is red and black. Covid-19 preventive measures will be followed. Facemasks will be distributed to the demonstrators. CDEDI is calling upon the Malawi Police service to provide security as per their constitutional mandate to ensure the safety and security of lives and property of all Malawians. CDEDI is also calling upon the Malawi Defense Force (MDF) to do likewise, following a very good precedent they set during the previous demonstrations that were staged in protest against the May 21, 2019 tripartite elections, where they were deployed to protect lives and property,” he added.

While commending President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera for releasing the audit report into the looting of the K6.2 billion Covid-19 funds, Namiwa reminded the President to make public findings of the 6 July report, the Statehouse Crossroads accommodation scandal and the fuel supply saga at the National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA).

He further demanded that Chakwera should also exonerate himself from allegations former MCP Kasungu parliamentarian Alex Major leveled against him bordering on nepotism, favoritism and corrupt practices by his senior cabinet ministers and top state house staff.

By Emmanuel Mwandama, a Contributor

About forty three students from the University of Malawi, College of Medicine, risk losing their places at this institution due to lack of  school fees.

According to Jeremiah Dambuleni who is one of the forty three, the students were once on a Daeyang University scholarship scheme but along the way the university withdrew the scholarship and this forced the students to go back to Unima council for a discussion on the way forward.

“After the withdrawal of the scholarship by Deayang University, we were stranded. We had a discussion with the Unima council where we were told that we would be paying US$5,500 annually. We told them the fees were on a higher side and then they promised to look into the matter,” said Dambuleni.

Later, the students engaged the services of a private legal practitioner to stop the university from withdrawing them from the college. 

“Since we were afraid of being withdrawn from the college, we sought the legal redress. As of now the court is yet to make its position clear on this matter. And the University of Malawi council says it shall wait for what the court shall say. But our names are not on the list of the students to attend classes this coming Monday. We are afraid things are getting out of hand,” said Dambuleni.

A good number of these students are in their fourth year at the college. It remains an open secret that many able young Malawians fail to further their education because of financial constraints.

One of the very crucial issues during the 2020 campaign period was the high fees for tertiary education but it remains to be seen if the new regime will do something about this.

Efforts to talk to the Unima Council proved futile as their phones went unanswered.

By Watipaso Mzungu

The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has demanded a probe into the circumstances that led to the construction of 65 dwelling units on privately-owned land at Ngumbe area in Blantyre.

The State-funded Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC), using a bank loan amounting to MK3.5 billion, constructed houses on a land that belongs to Chitseko Estate Limited.

These revelations have left Malawians wondering how it was possible for the corporation to develop land that it does not have ownership over.

On Monday morning, CDEDI executive director Sylvester Namiwa addressed journalists in Lilongwe where he demanded that the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the Office of the Ombudsman should launch independent investigations into the matter.

Namiwa claimed that the results of a fact finding mission CDEDI conducted had collaborated with information contained in a whistle blower’s letter from the corporation, which shows that the MHC’s own technical team comprising the Principal Surveyor Alick Chirwa, the Projects Manager Davis Kwanjana, Corporate Secretary Bob Chimkango, the Estate Officer Rodney Nankuyu, and a Mr. Haliwa and other officials conducted a boundary verification exercise prior to the commencement of the project.

“The team reportedly advised the corporation not to proceed with the project since it was clear that the MHC did not own the land. It is further reported that the Surveyor and the Project Manager drew alternative plans to make sure the houses would be built within the correct boundaries of the MHC’s land. The team further advised management, including Jordan Chipala the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) that the corporation would lose a lot of money and risked demolition of the houses if they constructed on Chitseko’s land,” he said.

Namiwa added that such professional advice and alternative plans were reportedly shot down by the corporation’s legal manager Okota Mzanda on grounds that building the houses elsewhere would be deemed as ‘conceding defeat.’

“At this point, it was very clear that the MHC was aware that they did not own the land, and yet they still continued with the construction of the houses. Sensing foul play, the Chitseko Estate Limited sounded an SOS and the issue started heating up. MHC officials were summoned to the Ministry of Lands in October 2020 where they were told that a report by the Surveyor General had ‘sadly’ found that the houses were built on land that did not belong to MHC. CDEDI is aware that a meeting was convened in Lilongwe over the matter, chaired by the former Principal Secretary Bernard Sande, where instructions were issued against the release of the Surveyor General’s report. Unfortunately, Chitseko Estate Limited had already been made aware about the contents of the report by the office of the Commissioner for Lands, a development that led to a disciplinary action which was meted out against the Acting Commissioner for Lands, Euphemia Botha,” he said.

Namiwa demanded that the Surveyor General’s report should be made public, an immediate audit to be conducted to confirm the cost of construction for the 65 houses which is currently pegged at MK54 million each and MHC should comply with previous court determinations, which were made in favour of Chitseko Estate Limited as regards the ownership of the land.

He also demanded that all the top government and MHC officials that are involved in the cover up of the Surveyor General’s report should be investigated and prosecuted, the re-instatement of the Acting Commissioner for Lands, Euphonia Botha, who was allegedly punished for sharing the contents of the Surveyor General’s report with Chitseko Estate Limited.

“We are also demanding an immediate resignation of Okota Mzanda, the MHC Legal Manager, to pave the way for thorough investigations on reports that he advised the MHC to cover up the Surveyor General’s report, the immediate resignation of the MHC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jordan Chipala, under whose watch the Corporation has gotten into a shameful mess,” said Namiwa.

CDEDI has since written the ACB, with a copy to the office of the Ombudsman, to consider instituting full investigations over the matter.

The organization has also challenged the Minister of Lands Kezzie Msukwa and his deputy Abida Mia not bury their heads in the sand at this critical moment when Malawians are looking for answers from MHC.