Africa-Press – Malawi. I agree with President Lazarus Chakwera’s key message on coronavirus pandemic – we should all take responsibility to tackle the pandemic that is now killing an average of 10 Malawians since January 6th.
Again, I agree more resources should be put towards testing, close down schools and buy more equipment, and everyone taking again more responsibilities in keeping safe distance, sanitising or washing with soap and masking up.
But that is where our agreement end with President Lazarus Chakwera who seemed to have been jolted from his fasting after he lost two friends and Cabinet Ministers Sidik Mia and Lingson Belekanyama.
So far, until a few days ago, the President delegated to Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda- the Minister of Health and Dr. John Phuka as the face of Covid 19. He went on business as usual, moving up and down that earned him a name Vilemi Dazi or Siku, his party went to the campaign so too Dr. Saulosi Chilima was inspecting 335 projects left by the DPP regime.
Elsewhere voices of reason were said to be scare mongers. When people spoke against such excessive travel, they were termed Cadets. There is an innuendo asking the DPP cadets “to heal”. Unfortunately, time is a savage.
Whilst his deputy has audacity to ask Malawians to harvest before they ask about when they will start eating three times a day, the President messed up otherwise his good speech by asking Malawians to forgo all his promises as there is Covid-19.
I am having difficulties with Chakwera speeches. They are always a mixture of statesman and servant leadership mixed with Bakili Muluzi, Joyce Banda and Peter Mutharika spite on anyone who dares to ask the questions.
President Chakwera can’t be Jacob Zuma and Nelson Mandela at the same time. He is either the servant leader or the politician his predecessors have always been. Malawians are not very amused. If he has critical voices, let him visit markets and rural areas, everyone thinks he just talks too much and does not do anything. Hence getting nicknames such as ‘Mr Talk-Talk’.
He speciafically asked Malawians not to ask about campaign promises and cabinet reshuffles. In his wisdom, the President is saying shut up until Covid 19 is gone and then we can talk. It was a big political gaffe to include that paragraph. No, a big NO your Excellency, Malawians cannot have you shield incompetent Ministers being paid by the tax payer because there is Covid-19.
At the rate of misinformation, conspiracy theories and what a view- we strongly believe the Ministry of Civic Education should be abolished. You promised five month review, it has nothing to do we Covid-19. Actually you are doing disservice to Covid-19 if we keep such grossly incompetent Ministers who are eating and doing nothing.
I am not sure about the Minister of Health. But the President’s speech mentioned 143 testing sites and most of the things he said cannot be proven on ground. The expenditure and delivery is quite different.
Actually Yours Excellency one Malawian Onjezani Kenani has managed to deliver 40 sets of oxygen systems in our hospitals for a mere K17 million. For K6 billion mentioned, we should have had a lot of equipment and bed space.
Your Excellency, why we refuse to shut up is that in other countries Covid-19 is creating jobs. You voluntarily promised 1 million jobs by June 23, 2021. We did not ask you to promise, but you did. Your Excellency this is 7th month which Covid has attacked us, we should at least have half and even Covid related jobs created. The truth Your Excellency you know time is running out, as you blamed Peter Mutharika and DPP, you are using Covid-19 as an excuse.
Your Excellency reducing Government expenditure is part of Covid -19 necessity, if you want all of us to take you seriously, suspend 100 percent increments to members of parliament. The K2 billion expenditure caused by the increment should be channelled to Covid 19. If you can’t do that, don’t ask us to shut up on our reminders that we too- the citizens – are waiting for windfall like our MPs.
Your Excellency, you did sound hollow. Deep hollow. Donors might have been laughing at you asking for resources to fight Covid 19 when your Government just approved a K5 billion payment to you and your deputy personal lawyers. Seriously, you could not invite your lawyers and ask them to spread the payments especially after Covid 19 stabilises.
Your Excellency, I would support your sentiments fully to be sincere an honest if you announced suspension of procurement of luxury cars, reduction in fuel allocation for Ministers, PSs and a football team of your advisers and direct that fuel to oxygen cylinders and reduction of Ministers to 20. Peter Mutharika did it for 5 years.
Your Excellency, I would support your call for responsibility if the Task force stopped paying allowances, adopted digital means of meeting or meet at any Government office not hotels. Every meeting of the Task Force costs us 4 ventilators.
You cannot be asking us Your Excellency to take the pinch and not remind you of your promises you made while aware Covid-19 was around. This like reduction of your powers, reduction of expenditure, free water and electricity, reduced passport and licence and firing incompetent people, replacing expensive prado’s with cheaper versions, suspending MPs salary hike, all that bwana, Dzukani Bwana, needs political will, with or without Covid-19, you can, that is if you are sincere and honest you want to do it, otherwise, stop gagging us from measuring your time in office. 3.5 years to go. 2024 is for campaign!
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