..the reasons Labour Minister threw in towel
Labour Minister Agness NyaLonje has three reasons of quitting the cabinet of President Lazarus Chakwera namely death of Vice President Saulos Chilima, corruption and Israel labour export deal which saw MCP officials demand inclusion of their relations, The Investigator Magazine has been informed.
And the powerful Minister of Local Chimwendo Banda is alleged to have offered “K60 million to K100 million” to senior UTM officials including a cabinet post “after dropping NyaLonje” which has contributed to the former Mzimba North legislator to throw in the towel.
The immediate aftermath of the death of Vice President Saulos Chilima was the declaration by his ardent followers that they were leaving Tonse Alliance- the ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP) panicked, and it started making political overtures to key personnel in the UTM, The Investigator Magazine has gathered.
Richard Chimwendo Banda, according to collaborated versions, offered UTM gurus between K60 million to K100 million and a seat in the cabinet if they managed to convince others to stay in Tonse Alliance.
Among those approached were Secretary General Patrica Kaliati, Patron Newton Kambala, Organising Chief Willet Kalonga, Director of Research Catherine Mzumara, Publicity Secretary Felix Njawala and several UTM MPs.
“The Minister told the President that she had decided to quit as she could not explain to anyone how the man who brought her into cabinet (SKC) had died. She struggled for the first months and she sought advice and concluded that delays in a commission of inquiry would reflect badly on anyone claiming to be respecting the late vice president,” a close associate of the MInister told us.
The other reason was that if she sought to return to parliament, the situation in the North was hostile to anyone who is seen as associating with Chakwera who has earned a new nick name “Chikangawa” where the late Chilima’s plane crashed.
“The last straw has been the Israel labour deal, while the Ministry advertised and interviewed Malawians from all walks of life, MCP officials applied pressure and provided 90% of those that made it on the final list. She questioned why the bother in advertising did when they could have just sent prepared list as others had borrowed money to prepare,” said a source.
UTM officials could not confirm on record, but others pointed out that in the case of Kambala who a direct relation of the President is but had not spoken to each other since “being fired from cabinet” and the treatment of Chilima was reason enough to scare any sensible Malawian.
Both President Chakwera and NyaLonje have not spoken in public, though she is said to have spoken to the President before he left for United Nations General Assembly, and both agreed to wait for reshuffle due soon.