…accused of planting Nacala story to discredit Nyusi
…Chakwera’s information Minister peddled lies
Caught lying again- there was, is and there won’t be 99-year lease agreement signed between Malawi and Mozambique over a portion of Nacala port, official Mozambique news agency has quoted President Filipe Nyusi, denying Malawi’s reports last week peddled by government communications teams.
Mozambique Government owned Radio Mozambique Nyusi said government only granted land outside the operational area of the Port of Nacala so that Malawi could base its dry dock, which will serve to store general cargo in transit.
Information Minister Moses Kunkuyu had peddled media reports and said the deal was similar to a long lease Malawi enjoys at Mbeya and Dar es Salaam which was granted by Julius Nyerere.
Chakwera had visited Mozambique on his way to SADC summit and signed an electricity programme and management of Nacala facilities related to Malawi. It was misinterpreted as having a lease to the port.
Nyusi had explained that the agreements will benefit both countries, since they are instruments that aim to enable initiatives that are already underway, such as the Mozambique-Malawi Regional Interconnection Project, MOMA.
“We have a joint electrification project, which we call MOMA. In terms of the line, 52 per cent has progressed on the Mozambican side, and for the substation it’s almost 72 per cent, which means it’s a concrete project that our two countries are developing”, he said.
According to Nyusi, the Port of Nacala is strategic for both countries. Mozambique has made space available in the Port, which Malawi can use as a specific terminal for its trade. “The process has been finalized in both countries, in terms of concession procedures”, he was reported to have said.
For his part, Chakwera he is said to have said that the agreements signed will boost Malawi’s development strategies.
“We will soon be signing air transport agreements, which will bring us closer together as peoples in our region. And I welcome the fact that we will increase our electricity supply capacity and thus reduce the levels of power cuts. I’m also pleased that we will soon be able to reduce the overland costs of fuel transport, which will translate into lower fuel prices in Malawi”, he was quoted as having said.
Chakwera’s administration is now facing accusations of interfering in Mozambique elections slated for October 9 this year as the news agency in Mozambique wrote on Friday, “The story was fake and may have been planted to discredit Nyusi, suggesting that he is giving away chunks of Mozambican territory to a foreign country.”
Malawi Government has been trying hard to peddle Chakwera’s foreign trips which are costing taxpayers billions of kwacha amid falling currency, food shortages and high costs of living which are seen as insensitive to the suffering public.
The President who is slated to leave for China and United States of America which will total up to K4.5 billion has failed to complete a single project in his 2019 and 2020 elections manifesto, including the promised fertiliser price reduction, creation of 1 million jobs and completion of Mzuzu Airport and University of Mombera.
With elections in less than a year from September, the Nacala purported deal was highlighted by Government media and communications teams as an achievement that will improve fuel and imports costs, and the denial of Mozambique is yet another embarrassing episode.
