By Kondanani Chilimunthaka
The presidential press secretary Mr. Brian Banda has told the nation that state house does not comment on gossip. Banda made the remarks on Monday morning at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre during questions time of the 12th edition of Weekly brief.
Answering on whether there is infighting among cabinet ministers, Banda said state house has never heard of such issues within the cabinet and that state house can not come in public to comment on gossip. Banda further told the nation that the matter at National Oil Company of Malawi is now being handled by Anti Corruption Bureau(ACB) which is an independent body and that president Chakwera will make determinations once ACB finalises its investigations and presents the findings to him. Banda also tackled some questions to do with AIP, president Chakwera’s attendance to other functions deemed to be small in nature, MANEB issue, presidential entourages and what is deemed to be a bloated number of presidential advisers.
But before the presidential press secretary took the questions from different media houses, Mr. Sean Kampondeni who is the state house director of communications and executive assistant to the president also touched on the allegations of political interference on NOCMS where he clarified that NOCMA is responsible for tendering process of the supply for fuel to the country and that the complaint by the deputy CEO for NOCMA to ACB is of serious allegation against the state house official a cabinet member and an alliance partner who are all directly linked with the president. But Kampondeni was quick to stress that president Chakwera will not make any comment until an investigation has been concluded and the report put before him on his table.
He also touched on other equally important matters like the of Tony Blair institute which president Chakwera has engaged to set up an installation of delivery unit. Kampondeni told the nation that this is being done to address capacity deficiencies within the government machinery, however he assured the nation that no taxpayer’s money will be used as the service is for free.
On the recent social media comments by councilors from withing the city of Blantyre Kampondeni said Malawians taxes are not to be wasted on people who were elected to serve the people only because they have met the president. He has since emphasized that the current administration will never at any time intend to do that as it not in the interest of president Chakwera to fatten individuals pockets. He then took his time to narrate what president Chakwera’s diary in the just ended week and also what he is expected to fulfil in the week just starting.
During the weekly brief at Sanjika a minute of silence was also observed in respect of the departed soul of a photo journalist at Nation Publications James Chimpweya who died in the course of duty over the week end.
