by Thom Khanje
Malawi’s seven major international donors have warned the country on the issue of gay rights, saying the country risk isolation if it continued in the way it was handling cases of homosexuals in the country.
However, government has said Malawians needed time to build consensus on the matter which was still a “strange phenomena” in the country.
African Development Bank (AfDB) resident representative in Malawi Frank Kufakwandi, speaking in his capacity as Chairperson of the Common Approach to Budgetary (Cabs) group of donors countries, told journalist in Lilongwe that the group was concerned with the way the country was handling the issue of gays in the country.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the a Cabs Review meeting for the financial year 2009/2010, whose outcome, he said, forms a strong basis for Cabs development partners to make their disbursement decision.
“Issues of human rights have universal appeal. The current issue of homosexuals in Malawi has raised a lot of international concern, including members of the Cabs group, and Malawi needs to handle the issue with extra care,” said Kufakwandi.
Earlier, Kufakwandi said during the official opening of the meeting that key principles of Malawi’s budget support from the Cabs group are based on the country’s commitment to poverty reduction, respect for human rights, democratic principles, sound macro-economic management and good governance and effective anti-corruption programmes.
He said it was important for Malawi to take heed of the human rights issues which some of “our constituents” have raised.
“For example, some of the donor partner parliaments are closely following on the issues of press freedom and minority rights. The donor partners are ready to work with government in addressing some of these issues,” said Kufakwandi.
However, Deputy Minister of Finance Frazer Nihorya, who officially opened the Cabs meeting, told journalists that Malawians needed time to build consensus on the matter.
“This is a tricky matter because issues of rights have corresponding responsibilities. The public in Malawi is still debating on the issue of homosexuals because it was a new phenomenon in the country. It is the popular opinion of Malawians which will influence government’s position on the matter,” said Nihorya.
The Cabs group comprise the African Development Bank (AfDB), Britain, World Bank, German, Norway, Norway and the European Union.
They provide funding to meet about 40 percent of the country’s national budget and have commitments to provide K81 billion in budgetary support to Malawi for this year.
However, by end of February, only German, Britain and the European Union had released their pledges follow totalling about K16 billion.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Dormant firm gets lucrative Govt contract
by Thom Khanje
Hell almost broke loose at Plant and Vehicle Hire Department (PVHO) offices in Lilongwe on Wednesday when Countrywide Car Hire owner Mike Mlombwa took to task chairman of the transport sub-committee for the forth-coming African Union Finance Ministers Conference Jomo Mkandawire on how a dormant car hire company belonging to a deceased person was offered a K30 million contract to provide 100 Mercedes Benz vehicles to be used by the visiting ministers during the conference next week.
It had to take onlookers to cool down the highly charged Mlombwa who confronted Mkandawire asking him why a company called Mix Car which was not registered with the Car Hire Association of Malawi and the Ministry of Tourism was given such a crucial contract.
Government is hiring the Mercs at a flat late of K30,000 a day for ten days, translating the contract amount to K30 million.
Mlombwa said in an interview that he was surprised to be told by Mkandawire that Mix Car Hire was the owner of the contract and that all other companies and individual with suitable Mercedes Benz vehicle should provide them through Mix Car Hire.
However, investigations have established that Mix Car is a dormant company whose owner Sam Malata died in 2005. The company has since then never been operational and currently does not own any vehicle.
One of the persons operating the company Happy Hora claimed in an interview that he owned the company in partnership with late Malata, although he admits that the company has not been “fully operational” except through small scale hires which he does with some personal vehicles from his home.
However, young brother to late Malawi Jana Malata, currently working for Concern World in Nkhotakota, described those who are operating the company has fraudsters, saying as far as the family is concern, the company was solely owned by his brother and has been dormant since he died.
“In any case, I should have been the one operating it but we just left it like that,” said Jana, who vowed to take legal action against those claiming ownership of the company.
Apparently, the guys behind the company are working under one of the son in-laws to President Bingu wa Mutharika and have used the state-house to bull-doze the organising committee into awarding the lucrative contract.
Mkandawire said however the company ‘s quotation, which was sourced without advertising for the tender in the media, was approved by the committee and received a “no objection” response from the Office of the Director of Public Procurement (ODPP).
Put to him that Mix Car Hire company was dormant, Mkandawire said that did not matter because the nature of the contract did not required a company to be well established to be awarded the business.
“Countrywide Car Hire may be established and have the muscle but they too don’t have Mercedes Benz’s and buses which we were looking for. Just like Mix Car Hire, they too were going to sub-hire the vehicles from individuals who have the Benz’s. They just have to talk to Mix Car Hire and provide their vehicles through them,” said Mkandawire.
Spokesperson for the ODPP Mary Mbekeani said she need more time to investigate the matter and could not immediately give her department's comment on the story.
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