Mutharika, Nankhumwa contradict over efficienccy of market fire fighters
Malawi President Peter Mutharika has praised the efficiency and effectiveness of Lilongwe City Council fire brigades in fighting the Lilongwe market, saying their conduct has saved some property.
However, this sharply contradicts what Local government and rural development minister Kondwani Nankhumwa said when he accused the fire brigades of coming late to the burning market with little fuel and fire fighting water.
Nankhumwa maintained his statement, saying he was speaking with “facts from the ground” and not hearsay.
Mutharika is in the United States where he went to attend the UN general assembly whilst Nankhumwa was at the market hours after the fire ravaged the market.
President Mutharika also heaped praise on the Malawi Defence Force and Aviation department for helping fight the fire.
He asked the police to speed up with investigations on the cause of the fire.
Vendors protested violently on Friday, accusing the council fire fighters of responding late, two hours after the fire started yet their offices are barely two kilometres away from the Lilongwe Old Town where the market is situated.
On Saturday, cabinet ministers and traders in the market were locked up in a meeting.
Market secretary Daniel Kamala said a number of issues were discussed and the ministers made huge and fruitful contributions during the discussions.
“We discussed the issue of where the traders will be operaing from as we await a new modern market. We were offered the Lilongwe Community ground but we thought it is far from town and we agreed that we construct temporary stalls on the site of the burnt market and we will move out after the government identifies funds for the new market,” he said.
He said issues of compensation would be dealt with after all victims have been identified.
Kamala said the identification exercise of the market fire exercise would be done on Monday as each one will be told to stand on the ashes of the former stall identified by stall neighbours and market officials.
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Someone is not in control…
Kaliati contradicted the president look what happened…nankhumwa is just a ticking bomb.
Reshuffle or firing
KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK ATSOGOLERI A DZIKO AMENEWA
For once, I tend to agree with Nankhumwa. The president is in the US and obviously his comments are based on what someone must have reported to him. This therefore, raises some questions as to the workings of the cabinet and reporting lines to the president.: 1) who reported to the president about the fire? 2) did the person have first hand information or he was reporting what he/she heard? 3) whoever it was that reported to the president, why didn’t he/she consult Nankhumwa as the line minister? These questions may appear simple but they may reveal some operational deficiencies… Read more »
I totally agree with u True Patriot someone somewhere wanted to be good to the president. This is common to most Malawians. We like to rush on something we don’t know. A ntende good boy sedroum. Big up kondwani for give a true picture on the ground.
Why should Govt. compensate them as if it is responsible for starting the fire? Zauchitsiru nasi. Is Govt ready to compensate every Malawian who meets the same misfortune?
This government is so myopic and childish. I thought Nankhumwa was supposed to be the one briefing the President on the issues on the ground being the responsible Minister? Where then did the President get the information about the efficiency of the firefighters? Looking at the damage at the market, where is that evidence of the efficiency of firefighters on that fateful morning? This is crazy and a clear manifestation that this president is indeed a waste of time. By the way, what is he still doing in the States instead of coming to sort out these problems at home?… Read more »