Mutharika under pressure from party supporters: fire Chaponda, he is making party unpopular

As the saga involving the minister of Agriculture rages on, some Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members have asked president Peter Mutharika to fire George Chaponda.

Through a letter dated 20 February 2017, senior officials have asked Mutharika to take action on the alleged corruption and abuse of public office against the Mulanje West MP who has been touted to be the Party’s next President after Peter Mutharika.

”Your Excellency, we are the concerned members of our mighty party who are neither strangers to you nor unfamiliar with our party. Our loyalty and love for you, our party and our nation has been steadfast.

“We have stood by your side and fought with you through the toughest of times and not for once have we abandoned our great party even as many defected and left us to bury our founder and president, Bingu wa Mutharika in 2012; neither did we abandon you at the convention in 2013; and did not even leave you alone on the path of jail and courts in 2013.

“We want you to understand, that it is this love and faithfulness that we have for you and our mighty party that we humbly petition you today, to take timely action on the alleged corruption and abuse of public office by the minister of Agriculture, Irrigati­on and Water Development George Chaponda,” states a part of the letter.

It further says that the senior members appreciate the distinguished effort and service that Chaponda has rendered to their party and country even in and the darkest of times of their party.

It also states that Chaponda is a great man and source of inspiration and mentorship to the country’s youths and contemporary politicians within and outside the DPP.

The letter however argues that the allegations leveled against Chaponda of corruption and abuse of public office and recommendations that the Police and the Anti-Corruption Bureau investigate Chaponda further have made them ask for Chaponda’s head.

”Your Excellency, we know honorable Chaponda as a good man of high integrity and we seriously consider him innocent until proven guilty by a competent court. But our petition for your action follows the fact that you promised to take action on findings and recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry,” the letter reads.
It further said that many enemies and opponents who fight the DPP in many party colors and others that disguise themselves as Civil Society Organisations, media practitioners and even foreign agencies have identified Chaponda as the weakest link in the administration and has become a target to hit and is affecting the whole functionality of the government and party.

Pressure still mounts on President Peter Mutharika to ‘act’ in line with recommendations made by a special commission of inquiry that he had set up to investigate key processes that took place in Admarc’s purchase of maize from neighboring Zambia.

The report by the inquiry urged Mutharika to consider starting up a separate investigation in a number of dealings Agriculture Minister George Chaponda had with Transglobe Limited, a company he earmarked for the transportation of the maize.

The inquiry termed the dealings the Minister had with Transglobe as suspicious.