Africa-Press – Malawi. The Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has taken a direct swipe at former president Lazarus Chakwera, saying he should not be honoured with the privileges of a former head of state because his administration left Malawians “worse off” and was marred by serious governance and corruption failures.
Speaking at a press briefing in Blantyre on Monday, CDEDI Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa says Malawians must now confront the question of whether Chakwera deserves any recognition associated with the office of former president, arguing that honour should be earned through performance, integrity, and service to the nation, not “mediocrity and petty thieving.”
Namiwa says recent developments under Chakwera’s regime justify a national debate on who qualifies for such privileges.
He claims the former leader presided over a government that abused public resources, failed to curb corruption and allowed state machinery to terrorise citizens who were exercising their constitutional right to protest.
“Should Malawians reward Chakwera for cluelessness, mediocrity and petty thieving in the name of honouring a former president? We are of the strong view that presidents who leave the country in a worse situation than they found it, those that underperform to be precise, do not deserve the honour of occupying the office of the former president of this country, and the associated privileges,” said Namiwa.
CDEDI has also called on SADC, the Commonwealth, diplomatic missions and international organisations to stop engaging Chakwera in any honorary role, including peace initiatives, until he clears himself of what the organisation describes as “atrocities committed under his watch.”
The group says it fully agrees with a Tanzanian civil society organisation that opposed the Commonwealth’s decision to appoint Chakwera as a peace envoy following disputed elections in that country.
Chakwera lost the moral ground to preach peace, let alone to be entrusted with the noble responsibility of brokering peace, which is a preserve for Statesmen, former leaders who leave the office honourably, and not those like him who are forced to leave after ransacking their countries for personal enrichment,” he added.
CDEDI further accuses Chakwera of presiding over state-sanctioned violence during demonstrations, reckless State House spending — including the K67 billion reportedly used in six months and failing to act against corrupt officials at the National Oil Company of Malawi, despite publicly admitting he knew them.
The organisation also cites the controversial commission of inquiry into the plane crash that killed Vice-President Saulos Klaus Chilima, branding it a “sham,” and links Chakwera to multiple corruption scandals, including the AIP procurement mess, Covid-19 funds abuse, the Bridgin Foundation deal and the passport hacking issue.
CDEDI says it has written the Anti-Corruption Bureau urging it to open the Zunneth Sattar docket to establish who benefited from the UK businessperson.
Namiwa says Chakwera’s failure to fire his Chief of Staff Prince Kapondamgaga after he returned money and a Mercedes-Benz to ACB only fuels suspicions that Chakwera himself received a luxury Lexus from Sattar.
The organisation also recalls the midnight arrest of former ACB Director Martha Chizuma as the “clearest sign” that Chakwera’s anti-corruption stance was a deception.
CDEDI is now demanding that all relevant State agencies investigate the listed issues to help Malawians decide whether Chakwera deserves to enjoy the honour and privileges of a former president or serve as a peace envoy on behalf of the country.
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