Africa-Press – Malawi. The Leader of the Opposition in Parliament, Kondwani Nankhumwa, has written Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) to investigate what he describes as human rights violations that farmers seeking the Affordable Input Programme (AIP) fertilizer are being subjected to.
In his letter addressed to MHRC executive secretary Habiba Osman, Nankhumwa has requested the institution to investigate why President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse Alliance government officials are obtaining money from farmers upfront on a promise they would get the fertilizer later and yet they do not get.
“There are documented cases of government agents going village by village in Mchinji, Ntchisi, Mulanje, and Chitipa, among others collecting money for AIP fertilizer from farmers whilst promising to give them fertilizer at a later date.
“This is unprecedented in the history of fertilizer subsidy programs in this country, and it is just plain wrong. Why should the government take money from poor farmers without giving them the commodity when the rains are already here, and they are already late in applying the fertilizer in their fields?” the letter dated January 30, 2023, reads in part. MHRC is yet to respond on the matter. This year’s AIP has been marred with dubious purchasing scandals, short suppliers.
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