Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Vice President Harry Mkandawire says MCP supporters will be prioritized during disbursement of business loans under the Malawi Enterprise Development Fund (MEDF).
Mkandawire made the remarks at a political rally held in Karonga where Malawi Electoral Commission is expected to hold by-election in Karonga Central.
In the area, both MCP which is led by President Lazarus Chakwera and UTM which led by Vice President Saulos Chilima have candidates. UTM and MCP are part of the ruling Tonse Alliance
According to Mkandawire, there have been issues regarding the MEDF loans as another political party has been distributing forms for the loans. Mkandawire said the forms are fake.
He argued that Chakwera is the president of Malawi and his ‘children’ are the ones who will be prioritized during disbursement of the loans.
“The first beneficiaries of the loans will be Chakwera’s supporters,” said Mkandawire.
He also appeared to be attacking Chilima by claiming that there is only one president and Chakwera is the one whose face was on the ballot in the 2020 presidential elections where Chakwera and Chilima were elected president and vice president.
“Chakwera is the president. He is the one whose face was on the ballot. He was the one sworn in as president. So he cannot dump his children,” said Mkandawire.
Meanwhile, the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has described Mkandawire’s remarks as highly insensitive and derogatory.
“As CDEDI, we do not only find Mr. Mkandawire’s thinking as retrogressive, but also very careless considering that not long-ago government sent on forced leave the MEDF senior management team for purportedly politicizing the loan disbursement process. This begs the question as to how different is this action compared to the new ‘police directive’ by the MCP Vice President for the north,” the organisation said.
The organisation has since asked Chakwera to discipline Mr. Mkandawire over the remarks.
Politicizing Medf…. So what’s the difference between you and DPP? Is it not the same Tonse Government that has been at the forefront decrying DPP’s crimes of politicising statutory bodies? And this asshole in Harry Mkandawire has the audacity to say the offensive words out loud? Please, guys, we voted for change, give us a break. Don’t give me cause to start believing that I wasted my vote and in the fear that my confidence in the Tonse Alliance Government was misplaced. Chakwera/Chilima, if you don’t address this stupidity, people will go back to the streets to give you marching orders. We need real change in Malawi, not hypocrisy!