Malawi’s Peter Mutharika fires agriculture minister over maize graft probe
Blantyre — Malawi’s president, Peter Mutharika, fired the country’s agriculture minister on Wednesday. George Chaponda is alleged to have profited from a $35m deal to import maize from Zambia. Chaponda, seen as a close ally and potential successor to Mutharika, was dismissed from his post a day after investigators raided his home where they reportedly found $223,000 in cash. In a statement, Mutharika’s office said he had decided "to relieve George Chaponda of his responsibilities as minister of agriculture with immediate effect", without saying why. His dismissal follows pressure on the government in parliament over its controversial purchase of 100,000 tonnes of maize at high rates from neighbouring Zambia in July 2016, which has been branded "maizegate" by the local media. Malawi said it was forced to import the vast quantities of food following a drought that has hit Southern African agricultural production hard, with Chaponda saying the measure was needed to "save Malawi from hu...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.