Malawi Parliament accused of extravagance amid economic hardships
Speaker of the National Assembly Richard Msowoya has been accused of buying four vehicles valued at K300m amid economic hardships the country is going through.
Parliament has bought a Land cruiser for the Speaker and three Toyota Prados for leader of opposition in parliament Lazarus Chakwera, deputy speakers Esther Mcheka Chilenje and Clement Chiwaya.
Democratic Progressive Party officials and sympathisers say this is hypocrisy at its best.
“The Malawi Congress Party has always been hard on the government and President Peter Mutharika on financial prudence yet the same party can blow up to K300m on luxurious cars,” said a senior party official on Saturday who declined to be named because he says he does speak for the party.
Chakwera is MCP president whilst Msowoya is MCP vice president.
Chilenje is an independent MP while Chiwaya is UDF legislator.
Other Malawians writing in social media wondered why parliament couldn’t hold the buying of the cars until when the economic situation improved, saying it is double standards to ask the executive arm of government for belt tightening amid economic problems when the opposition itself cares less.
“They were not walking on foot, am sure they have other officials cars which they could have continued using until the situation improves,” says a post on Facebook.
President Peter Mutharika has cancelled his India trip where he was to attend India China summit, claiming the economic situation does not allow him to travel.
Jessie Kabwila, the MCP spokesperson has time and again lashed out at the Mutharika administration for lacking economic prudence.
Msowoya is a very mentally retarded speaker ever lived in Malawi. If you were Rodwell Munyenyembe, Lewis Chimanga, and Chimunthu Banda I think Malawi would be in trouble, in blood by now.
MCP will even do more harm to this economy than the currently even more harmful dpp. We are in for a mess!
Mr Msowoya, you have goofed and this is your downfall. Nobody in his right senses can trust you anymore.How can we vote you into government with this type of behavior. My heart is bleeding
Speaker Msowoya is the first speaker of its own kind. We had Rodney Munyenyembe from opposition party then UDF while DPP was in power, we had Lewis Chimanga speaker from opposition MCP while DPP was in power, we had Chimunthu Banda speaker from opposition DPP when PP was in power. All these speakers had no problems, they were switching towards the ruling party easily. But not speaker Msowoya. You are a problem. I am alfraid if we will sail to 2019 peacefully or when all of you guys are alive not being taken away by accidents or mafian deaths.
Chakwera is a human being too. No difference between him and Mathanyura. Chakwera when are you taking your car? Or have you already taken the car? Are you enjoying seating on K96 million kwacha when people in the village are dying of hunger?
Where is Jessie Kabwira. Please I need your comment. If you are wise enough you could have refused the maphwevuphwevu of the VX cars? That time you refused to take on maphwevuphwevu on round table with dishes. Today You have failed
To compare the UNGA trip and the cost of it to the cost of buying these cars is a silly argument. These individuals were not walking prior to the buying of these vehicles. And are we to assume that the trip to the UNGA, which wasn’t just a spur of the moment trip, wasn’t budgeted for???? And the meetings that were taking place on the sidelines of the UNGA, have far reaching benefits to Malawi as a whole not to DPP or government or the supposed hangers on who were in the US. The reality here is that those(MCP) with… Read more »
BOMA LOPUSA ILI..KUWAGULIRA ANTHUWA NDALAMA THEN KUPANGA PRETEND AS IF ADZIGULIRA OKHA
That’s too hypocritical so to say. But on the other hand, I want to know how is the vehicle procurement process go like at parliament. Are the beneficiaries consulted in the process? Who really is responsible for the approval of the purchase? I wanna know first.
If you can’t beat them,just join them
PETER TRUMAN, KUSAMUTSA UNIVERSITY FROM LL TO NDATA NDI NKHANI ILI APAYI ZIKUGWILIZANA BWANJI?