State House has not yet renewed some contracts of President Bingu wa Mutharikas team of advisors, a development that has cast doubts on some political followers within the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).Among those that are anxiously waiting for their contracts to be renewed include chief political advisor Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba (pictured), political advisor Francis Mphepo and presidential advisor on religious affairs, Rev. Malani Ntonga.
The presidents assistants contracts expired in May, and the delay by the Office of the President to renew the contracts has strengthened rumours that Mutharika may not want to retain all the advisors that served under him during his first term of office.
However, close friends to the advisors in separate interviews were very hopeful that the President would renew their contracts because they claimed that they have served him very well.
The advisor on religious affairs told fellow church men that he has done a lot for the President in getting the faith community to support him and he did not see how he can be left out.
On the other hand, Ntaba who lost in the May parliamentary polls has hope that his contract will be renewed come rain and come sunshine because he is very loyal, he told a friend in Lilongwe at the weekend.
On the other hand Mphepo has kept a tight lip and believes in operating behind the scenes but remains too dangerous for his friends because he has ear of the President in basically most of things.
A State House reliable source confided to Nyasa Times reporter that: I asked them why they are still working yet their contracts expired, one told me while laughing that he is the engine room of both government and DPP as such he cannot be thrown away whilst another said Ndife eni filimu.
Commentators have urged Mutharika to add value by taking on board some new advisors so that there is an improved outlook.
Some advisors have dented the image of the President by going about extorting money from Indians, Chinese, Koreans, chief executives of companies and Malawians in general in the name of the President.
Some senior citizens have been duped by some of these senior advisors to pay certain amounts of money as audience fee just to see their President so that he can listen to problems or issues of national importance.
Their behaviors sometimes has deteriorated into ordering police to arrest innocent citizens for trumped up charges, at times ordering judges and magistrates to take action against individuals in the name of the President.
And there have been cases where some of the advisors have caused the release of goods impounded by the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) without paying a fine; forced Malawi housing to allocate a house to a person not on the waiting list, and the list of evil activities is long.
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