DPP’s Chaponda cries foul, queries Banda on Cabinet

DPP’s George Chaponda, one of the incompetent ministers in Bingu’s cabinet is bitter for being fired as Minister of Education despite his protestations.

Chaponda complained to the Nationthat the newly-appointed ministers have started working before they are sworn in and he termed that as bad governance.

But despite acclaimed academic qualifications, Chaponda was one of the clueless and incompetent ministers of the past eight years.

Chaponda last year as Minister of Justice made Malawi famous in a ‘foul’ way by wrongly suggesting that the provision on fouling the air that was part of a courts bill included the banning of farting. The law actually targeted polluting the environment.

Earlier in 2006, as Minister of Local Government, Chaponda bizarrely said Local Government Elections were unnecessary because the absence of councillors was not being felt. No Local Government Elections have been held since then despite civil society campaigns.

However he could not ride his luck any longer and after serving as minister in various portfolios for the past eight years, Chaponda is among the casualties in the new Cabinet and he reacted to his sacking.

Chaponda delivered a stark warning to the new government of President Joyce Banda that Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) will not shut its collective mouth when things go wrong by accusing government of allowing newly-appointed ministers to start working before they are sworn in.

The former Cabinet minister, who could not specify who has begun working, also took a dig at Banda for firing people who had contracts with government.

“I would advise the government to stick to what they say on reconciliation. They should translate the words into deeds”.

“What I see now is that some ministers are already occupying their offices. That is not good governance. They have to live by what they have been accusing government [of]. They should live by what they preached,” said Chaponda.

But Minister of Information Moses Kunkuyu disputed Chaponda’s claims that some ministers have already assumed their offices.

“None of them is in their offices. They are in their constituencies. They will be sworn in on Monday,” said Kunkuyu.

Chaponda also accused government of firing people without following the right procedures, but did not elaborate.

After taking office, Banda fired former Inspector General of Police Peter Mukhito and MBC chief executive officer Bright Malopa among others.

However, Kunkuyu argued that Chaponda is not the right person to question the decisions. He could not say why.

Reacting to his sacking from Cabinet, Chaponda said he will continue serving his constituents as MP for Mulanje South West.

“I am not disappointed. When you are in politics, you don’t intend to become a minister, it is the prerogative of the president to appoint ministers,” he said.

His accusations though show a man that is bitter.