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| National |
| NGOs take a swipe at donors,NGOs take a swipe at donors |
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by
Joseph Langa,Joseph Langa, 15 January 2004
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16:04:42
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Some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) accredited to conduct civic and voter education for the May elections have taken a swipe at some donors that pledged to fund them to educate the electorate.
Church of Central Africa Presbyterian Blantyre Synod church and society programme director Robson Chitengo and Malawi Foundation for General Civic Education executive director Steve Mkali in separate statements accused the donors notably UNDP of abusing the funds meant for civic and voter education.
Malawi Electoral Support Network a grouping of the accredited NGOs in a separate interview said they have written UNDP to remind them to honour their pledge to fund NGOs.
Network coordinator Moses Mkandawire said the network has also asked UNDP to explain which NGOs got money from them because he said, “they told the press that all accredited organizations have already been funded”.
Chitengo said his organisation is dismayed by blatant lack of concern by UNDP and other donors to fund accredited NGOs, saying it is an open secret that several donors made pledges which they are failing to honour at such a crucial period of registration.
“We would like to openly condemn those donors who come to Malawi as tourists at the expense of the innocent poor. They should not come to Malawi for self-enrichment and exploitation.
“We are calling for the donor community to be transparent and accountable to civil society and the government. The majority (of the donors) don’t seem to take the consolidation of democracy in the country seriously,” said Chitengo.
Mkali said it is sad that only eight of the 20 accredited NGOs and service providers have been partly funded and yet the donors know that for elections to be fair there is need for adequate civic and voter education, which he said the donors pledged to fund.
“Let these donors know that they are not on a safari in Africa and they must stop playing politics—most of these donors are spending too much money on their luxury stay in Malawi and administration work,” he said.
Malawi Electoral Commission Spokesperson Fergus Lipenga declined to comment on the matter when contacted last Tuesday and referred the reporter to UNDP, which he said, indicated they will issue a press statement this week to explain the funding issue.
The UNDP is administering a donor basket of funds from five donors including Britain and the United States government part of which they said in a statement late last year, will be given to NGOs for conducting civic and voter education.
British High Commissioner Norman Ling told journalists who were attending an elections course in Blantyre in December that his government already released their contribution to UNDP for disbursement and referred reporters to UNDP.
UNDP Resident Representative Zahra Nuru could not explain why they have not released part of the funds that they said will be given to the NGOs for civic and voter education when contacted Tuesday.
She insisted she will issue a statement soon. ,Some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) accredited to conduct civic and voter education for the May elections have taken a swipe at some donors that pledged to fund them to educate the electorate.
Church of Central Africa Presbyterian Blantyre Synod church and society programme director Robson Chitengo and Malawi Foundation for General Civic Education executive director Steve Mkali in separate statements accused the donors notably UNDP of abusing the funds meant for civic and voter education.
Malawi Electoral Support Network a grouping of the accredited NGOs in a separate interview said they have written UNDP to remind them to honour their pledge to fund NGOs.
Network coordinator Moses Mkandawire said the network has also asked UNDP to explain which NGOs got money from them because he said, “they told the press that all accredited organizations have already been funded”.
Chitengo said his organisation is dismayed by blatant lack of concern by UNDP and other donors to fund accredited NGOs, saying it is an open secret that several donors made pledges which they are failing to honour at such a crucial period of registration.
“We would like to openly condemn those donors who come to Malawi as tourists at the expense of the innocent poor. They should not come to Malawi for self-enrichment and exploitation.
“We are calling for the donor community to be transparent and accountable to civil society and the government. The majority (of the donors) don’t seem to take the consolidation of democracy in the country seriously,” said Chitengo.
Mkali said it is sad that only eight of the 20 accredited NGOs and service providers have been partly funded and yet the donors know that for elections to be fair there is need for adequate civic and voter education, which he said the donors pledged to fund.
“Let these donors know that they are not on a safari in Africa and they must stop playing politics—most of these donors are spending too much money on their luxury stay in Malawi and administration work,” he said.
Malawi Electoral Commission Spokesperson Fergus Lipenga declined to comment on the matter when contacted last Tuesday and referred the reporter to UNDP, which he said, indicated they will issue a press statement this week to explain the funding issue.
The UNDP is administering a donor basket of funds from five donors including Britain and the United States government part of which they said in a statement late last year, will be given to NGOs for conducting civic and voter education.
British High Commissioner Norman Ling told journalists who were attending an elections course in Blantyre in December that his government already released their contribution to UNDP for disbursement and referred reporters to UNDP.
UNDP Resident Representative Zahra Nuru could not explain why they have not released part of the funds that they said will be given to the NGOs for civic and voter education when contacted Tuesday.
She insisted she will issue a statement soon. |
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