PP wing fails to honour K400 000 payment
A youth wing of Malawi’s ruling People’s Party, the Orange Partners Movement for Mulanje and Thyolo, is failing to honour K427 000 to a lodge after it held a fundraising event there.
The Orange Partners Movement, which held the event at the lodge on December 29 2012, is among the many stakeholders that owe Hapuwani Lodge sums of money; hence, affecting construction works.
The lodge’s managing director Ken Chilewe confirmed this week that the party’s youth movement was failing to settle the bill after its cheque numbered 0055813134011 and dated December 29 2012 was rejected at NBS Bank Mulanje Branch.
“Our place was not yet ready for operation such that we had to hire staff such as chefs and waiters from a hotel in Blantyre. The bill for food and drinks came to K527 000. They gave us K100 000 and a cheque for K427 000 which was referred to the drawer,” said Chilewe.
PP officials that attended the function included Minister of Mining John Bande, Minister of Water Development and Irrigation Richie Muheya and the party’s deputy administrative secretary Joseph Chikwemba.
Chikwemba confirmed the attendance of both Bande and Muheya.
He said failure by the party to honour the payment has paralysed completion of the lodge.
“The funds allocated for completing construction of the lodge were spent on the function. We had hoped to continue after getting the payment and launch the lodge in January,” said Chilewe.
Fundraising chairperson for Mulanje and Thyolo Orange Partners Movement, Osbert Kandodo refused to comment on the issue on Tuesday.
“Who gave you my number? I am not the PRO [public relations officer],” he said.
But Mulanje Orange Partners Movement coordinator Daudi Chikwanje said Kandodo was the right person to speak on the matter because he was responsible for booking the venue.
PP’s treasurer general Harry Mkandawire described the failure to honour the payment by the youth movement as unfortunate, saying it dents the party’s image.
He said all Orange Partners movements have their own bank accounts; hence, they were supposed to pay the lodge.
