Political analyst censures President on donors

One of the country’s renowned political analysts has advised government to listen to voice of reason from donors on issues that both the Executive and the public agree are beneficial to the nation.

University of Malawi (Unima) political analyst Joseph Chunga believes the donor community may sometimes want to call the shots, and that it is up to the leadership to resist such interference.

In a telephone interview, he said it is unfortunate that most African leaders tend to challenge donors when, actually, it is them who are in the wrong.

Chunga described as ‘unreasonable’ plans by President Peter Mutharika-led administration to commence a $453 million (K400 billion) water project in Lilongwe without a feasibility study.

He said: “As a country, we are in the wrong for making that decision, and as citizens we wouldn’t be saying we will be against donors and support our leaders on things that even as a nation we think they are not being done right.”

On arrival in Lilongwe from Blantyre last week, Mutharika went to town on some development partners who he accused of interfering in the implementation of the Salima- Lilongwe Water Supply Project.

The President did not name the development partners pushing for the halting of the project whose setback have included lack of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) and a feasibility study before the contract was awarded to Khato Civils Limited.

But Chunga has argued that instead of standing up for what is wrong, some Malawians are fond of dwelling on the wrongs that donors may have done, which according to him should not be the case.

He cited the recent stand taken by Ghanaian president to challenge the International Monetary Fund (IMF) not to follow what it wanted to prescribe for the country as a step in the right direction.

“Where we need to stand up we don’t, I don’t share these sentiments in this particular regard but I also don’t buy this idea that we should be worshipping donors,” said the Ghanaian president.

But reacting to the sentiments by Chunga, presidential press secretary Mgeme Kalilani defended his boss, saying there was nothing undiplomatic about what Mutharika said regarding the alleged interference of the donors.

“The President was simply reminding all of us about the position of foreign development partners in our country‘s development agenda. He said Malawians own the development agenda for the Republic of Malawi and should be respected. That’s a fact,” said Kalilani.

The Salima–Lilongwe water project has brought divisions among civil society activists such that Billy Mayaya, the Reverend Macdonald Sembereka and Rodgers Newa have alleged that the development partners were condemning the contract awarding process and other alleged flouted procedures related to the project because they were not happy that they had no control over the project.

In April this year, Malawi Law Society (MLS) successfully sought a court order compelling the Department of Environmental Affairs to produce details of the contract as well as an EIA report.

This compelled Lilongwe Water Board to advertise for a firm to carry out a feasibility study, which is said to be ready now.

The order also compels the Department of Environmental Affairs to furnish the law society with details of the contract between government and Khato Civils. n