Ken Lipenga- Government PR Gaffe with 2012/13 National Budget or a blessing for Malawi?

Malawi’s Finance Minister Dr Ken Lipenga today, Friday, June 8^th, presents to parliament government’s financial plan for the year 2012/13, amid calls for his resignation. This follows his own revelation that the former government led by the DPP lied to the nation by presenting to parliament budget figures that were aimed at deceiving the country that the former government’s 2011/12 Zero Deficit Budget was a success.

The Ministry of Finance and the Malawi Revenue Authority conspired that the latter borrow money from banks to make up for tax under collection and create the impression that all was well with government coffers.

Ken Lipenga was Minister of Finance, a post he still holds, when these transactions were being effected but he claims all this was done behind his back, hence cannot resign as demanded by some sectors.

That Ken Lipenga is guilty or innocent in this is not yet known. What is known and cannot be disputed, though, is that his credibility as Minister of Finance has been severely battered.

Late Mutharika's family on Commission of Inquiry - Misplaced shock

According to www.zodiakonline.com the family of late Bingu wa Mutharika, Malawi's third president, are frowning upon the Commission of Inquiry that his successor Joyce Banda instituted to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of her predecessor in April, 2012.

“We want to put it on record that we the bereaved family did not at any point request for a Commission of Inquiry and we will not be party to it. Why would we do that when we know all the facts surrounding the death of our late beloved,” a statement from the family reads in part as quoted by Zodiak.

Whether the commission of inquiry is necessary or not I think late Mutharika's family has got it wrong here. I don't think it has to take the family's request for government to investigate anything to do with a former head of state.