Malawi President Joyce Banda has called for an early
convening of Parliament to discuss among other things a financial crisis
that has rocked her government and also the Asset Declaration Bill.
In a defensive disposition, President Banda
quickly exonerated her party’s involvement in the plunder and
categorically refused to take action against any senior officials who
are said to be implicated in the infamous cash-gate scandal.
President Banda was addressing journalists upon arrival from US where she has been away for three weeks.
During her absence, Malawi has been plagued with
problems including public funds theft, unpaid salaries and strikes.
Opposition political parties and civil society groups had called the
president to come back to attend to the problems.
President Banda said it was disheartening to hear
stories about the looting in government and said it was her government’s
efforts to fight corruption.
The president tactically heaped the blame on
previous governments of the late Bingu wa Mutharika and Bakili Muluzi
who she accused of tolerating the vice.
“Corruption has existed in government for a long
time and we are here to clean the government. We discussed the problem
of corruption with the minister of Finance and Chief Secretary two month
ago and all what you are seeing is the result of my government’s
efforts to fight corruption,” she said adding that it is her government
that initiated the investigations into the cash-gate scandal.
Gender
“I am not dumb, if my government is involved in
the corruption how then would I institute investigations. Do not force
me to start thinking that this whole thing is about gender. It is
because I am a woman,” President Banda queried.
However, President Banda could not answer most of
the critical questions saying that she was yet to be briefed by her
cabinet and other government agencies on what had transpired in her
absence.
She however announced a number of steps her government have taken in order to arrest the situation in the country.
She however announced a number of steps her government have taken in order to arrest the situation in the country.
Among other things President Banda ordered
Parliament to meet to meet this month, among other things to review the
asset declaration law, adding that nobody has the powers to ask her to
make a declaration of her assets.
“I have asked them to meet as early as this month.
I want the new law to target other government officials including
principle secretaries and directors in government ministries,” she said.
Parliament was expected to meet in November.
President Banda also ordered the police to
constitute a Crime committee within its ranks that would start following
all cases leading to the cash-gate scandal and ensure that all people
involved are brought to book.
President Banda also ordered the country’s Anti
Corruption Bureau and police, Financial Intelligence Unit—money
laundering fighting institution to be sending reports to her regularly.
President Banda said she does not see the reason why she was to leave office when she was the one fighting corruption.
She also boasted to the nation that she has a lot
of money and cannot seek bribes saying, “I started operating business
when I was 21 years and money is not a problem.”
SOURCE: AFRICA REVIEW
SOURCE: AFRICA REVIEW
