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The civil society have cautioned President Bingu wa Mutharika for distributing money to different groups fearing he is following in the footsteps of his predecessor’s handouts culture. They also wondered where the President gets the money.
Mutharika last week donated K600,000 to the Anglican Church for the construction of a church in Balaka. He donated the money during the 39th wedding anniversary of Bishop Bernard Malango of the Anglican Church. In July, during Eucharistic prayers organised by Catholic Women Organisation, Mutharika also donated K200,000 towards a fund-raising dance. On his arrival from the AU summit last month, he distributed money to UDF women who welcomed him at Kamuzu International Airport.
Malawi Economic Justice Network (Mejn) national coordinator Collins Magalasi warned the President against handouts which he said promotes a culture of laziness, saying it was also a departure from what he promised Malawians during his inauguration, to turn Malawi into a producing and exporting nation from a dependent and consuming one.
Magalasi said the tendency of distributing money to various groups by the President should be discouraged.
“I do not want to assume or pretend the President has money to continue donating to people and organisations. If at all he has, then it’s in various votes and he does not have the authority to splash out money just like his predecessor did as this creates a culture of laziness which we should fight,” said Magalasi.
But Magalasi said it is better if the money is donated for the construction of a building than when it is donated to women and young democrats as the former president often used to do which, he said, created excess liquidity in the economy.
“But all in all, handouts in whatever case should be discouraged,” he added.
Edge Kanyongolo, head of law at the University of Malawi said the president’s donations are an attempt to appease those that are not happy with the new direction his administration has taken but cautioned that if that continues, people would start losing trust in what he says.
But Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe said the President has his own budget and would not know where the money he was donating was coming from, adding that there was no problem if the President is working within his budget.
“The President has his own budget. They have state residences budget, we do not deal with that, so you would better check with the Chief of Staff,” said Gondwe.
When contacted Chief of Staff, Ken Zikhale N’goma referred the Nation Online the Presidential Press Officer, Prescott Gonani. But when contacted Gonani also said the Chief of Staff was in a better position to furnish information on the issue.
“The Chief of Staff would have been the one to answer that question. I will consult with him to find out which vote the money is coming from,” said Gonani.
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