Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04LILONGWE1110
2004-12-03 11:33:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Lilongwe
Cable title:  

BLANTYRE MAYOR ARRESTED FOR CORRUPTION

Tags:  ECON PGOV KCOR KMCA MI 
pdf how-to read a cable
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS LILONGWE 001110 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR AF/S A. GALANEK
STATE FOR EB/IFD/OMA F. CHISHOLM
STATE FOR EB/IFD/ODF L. SPECHT
STATE PLEASE PASS TO TREASURY/INTL AFFAIRS/AFRICA L. KOHLER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON PGOV KCOR KMCA MI
SUBJECT: BLANTYRE MAYOR ARRESTED FOR CORRUPTION

REF: LILONGWE 1086

This message is sensitive but unclassified--not for Internet
distribution.

UNCLAS LILONGWE 001110

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR AF/S A. GALANEK
STATE FOR EB/IFD/OMA F. CHISHOLM
STATE FOR EB/IFD/ODF L. SPECHT
STATE PLEASE PASS TO TREASURY/INTL AFFAIRS/AFRICA L. KOHLER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON PGOV KCOR KMCA MI
SUBJECT: BLANTYRE MAYOR ARRESTED FOR CORRUPTION

REF: LILONGWE 1086

This message is sensitive but unclassified--not for Internet
distribution.


1. (U) The mayor of Malawi's largest city, Blantyre, has been
arrested for corruption, according to unconfirmed newspaper
reports. John Chikakwiya, a senior member of the nominally
ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) and one of the leading
loyalists of former President Bakili Muluzi, is reported as
having been arrested Thursday for stealing MK400,000 ($3,700)
in donations targeted for maintaining city streets.


2. (U) Chikakwiya is one of several members of a Muluzi
loyalist faction that has been openly critical of President
Bingu wa Mutharika's anti-corruption campaign, at least
partly out of self-interest. He and several other loyalists
(Dumbo Lemani, Kennedy Makwangwala, and Salule Masangwi) held
a press conference in late November condemning the arrests of
former ministers and other senior UDF members as political
persecution. Chikakwiya has been a UDF extremist in the
past; upon his (indirect) election as Blantyre's mayor in
2000, he immediately banned all except UDF political
demonstrations (though the courts quickly overturned the ban).


3. (SBU) COMMENT: This arrest will doubtless intensify the
growing rift between Mutharika's and Muluzi's political
factions within the UDF (reftel). Mutharika has arrested
several of Muluzi's senior lieutenants in his anti-corruption
campaign and shows no signs of letting up. While most
observers dismiss the accusations of political persecution,
the GOM needs to make its first convictions, rather than more
arrests, in order to maintain its popular legitimacy.
GILMOUR