For the past months, the Malawi ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has been in court over allegations of soliciting public funds from statutory bodies through a fundraising activity popularly known as ‘Blue Night’.
The July 29 Blue Night held at Kamuzu Palace last year angered Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) following reports that the party got K13.5 million from public institutions.
Lilongwe Water Board and Blantyre City Council were among the institutions that contributed generously to the party, funds meant for the public.
Demonstrations in the cities and court proceedings on Blue Night case between CSOs, the funders and governing DPP were reports that people followed with interest on how the matter is to be resolved.
The party was caught to be on the wrong side of the law as it got funds from the public pocket. Stiff warning was made to the funders of not repeating a similar incident in future.
This year DPP organized a similar event that brought an uproar at the same place for the same purpose of generating funds.
The question that passed in the minds of many was is DPP to get clean money from the activity?
Without expressing measures of blocking such well-wishers who contribute money that is not theirs, DPP spokesperson Nicholas Dausi said the party has achieved publicity for the event.
“We have made sure that there is enough publicity to ask well-wishers, benevolent people and people of goodwill to help us in the blue night fundraising activity,” Dausi told the local media.
He explained further that it will be unfortunate for the party to get funds from sources in a dubious way.
The ruling DPP was also recently faulted for obtaining money amounting to K145 million through Pioneer Investment in food ration deal at Malawi Police.
President Peter Mutharika was the sole signatory to the account that got a deposit of the money but denied wrongdoing on the matter and insisted the money was a donation.
