By Vincent Gunde
Political activist Bon Kalindo has warned Energy Minister Jean Mathanga that fuel procured by Malawi is allegedly being smuggled into neighbouring countries using buckets and jerrycans.
Kalindo has challenged Mathanga to visit Chipoka, Senga Bay, Karonga, Mangochi and Nsanje to witness how fuel is allegedly transported to countries such as Tanzania and Mozambique.
He says unless the government bans the transportation of fuel in buckets and jerrycans, Malawi will continue importing fuel without adequately addressing shortages on the domestic market.
Kalindo has made the remarks in an audio clip in which he has also called on government to expedite compensation for Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldiers who served on a peacekeeping mission in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The political activist has expressed concern over the welfare of soldiers who returned from the mission with disabilities, saying some were wounded, others had limbs amputated, while some now depend on wheelchairs.
He says some of the affected soldiers have been declared unfit for duty and require government support to sustain themselves.
Kalindo also claims that families of soldiers who died during the mission have not yet received compensation.
“Even the families whose loved ones died during the peacekeeping mission have, to this day, not received compensation,” he says.
The political activist has further compared the situation facing the soldiers to that of suppliers of stationery and foodstuffs to hospitals and prisons, who he claims have gone for two years without receiving payments.
He says some suppliers are struggling to repay loans, while others have lost property through debt recovery processes, leaving their businesses on the verge of collapse.
On the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP), Kalindo has questioned its effectiveness, alleging that some traditional leaders and Agricultural Extension Development Coordinators (AEDCs) are demanding K5,000 for every bag of fertiliser redeemed by beneficiaries.
He describes the current subsidy programme as a mess, arguing that corruption is preventing deserving farmers from accessing the inputs.
Kalindo has since advised government to abandon FISP and consider alternative ways of supporting farmers, accusing some politicians of treating the programme as an opportunity for personal gain.
