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Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe and leader of government business in Parliament Henry Chimunthu Banda this week contradicted each other on funds for mediation talks between President Bingu wa Mutharika and opposition leaders in South Africa.
Gondwe said government met travel expenses for MCP president John Tembo and UDF chair Bakili Muluzi while Chimunthu Banda said government did not foot the bill, making the opposition question the system.
President Mutharika did not turn up for the talks after Tembo and Muluzi already flew to South Africa where that country’s former president Frederick de Klerk, former Botswana president Ketumile Masire and Baroness Linda Chalker of UK were to preside.
Leader of UDF in Parliament George Mtafu, responding to President Mutharika’s opening speech of the budget session, on Monday said it did not make sense for the Head of State to withdraw his participation after authorising government to pay for the trip.
“When the President is asking for unity and reconciliation we know that it is just one of those things,” said Mtafu, who insisted he has evidence that government paid for the MCP and UDF mediation teams to travel to South Africa.
Chimunthu Banda, however, denied any government’s financial involvement in the meeting that failed due to Mutharika’s last-minute change of heart.
Tembo, in support of Mtafu, told the House that he received some cash from MCP spokesperson on finance Respicious Dzanjalimodzi released by government to meet part of his expenses in South Africa.
“This money came from Patrick Kabambe from Treasury,” said Tembo. “How can you people say government did not fund that trip? Is this the way you people steal?”
The MCP boss said he went to South Africa for the talks because Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe went to see him at his house in Lilongwe to plead with him to lead the MCP delegation.
Gondwe admitted to the House that he authorised payments to Tembo, Muluzi and their members on arrangements that the sponsors of the meeting were to reimburse the Malawi government.
“It is true that I approached Hon. Tembo and another UDF leader who I cannot mention today,” said Gondwe, adding that he released the funds because it was difficult at that time for the sponsors to transact finances for the meeting.
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