Malawi opposition chief asks govt to account for water money
Opposition MCP president, John Z.U. Tembo has pressed government of President Bingu wa Mutharika to explain where the money of water - given by the donors after parliament approved Water and Sanitation Bill – went.
Tembo said the country’s major cities –Lilongwe and Blantyre – have been experiencing persistent water shortage when government received money after parliament approved the bill.
He denied assertions that the opposition frustrated government bill on water hence the current water cuts.
“I have never rejected a bill which is of the benefit of the people, rural or urban,” said Tembo pointing out that he supported the water bill and the Hansard has the records.
“And the point is, the bill passed, the money came. Where did the money go,” asked Tembo
“What surprised me of course is that while the bill passed in parliament, the solution to water problem has not been attended to,” he said.
Tembo said the commercial city of Blantyre has been worst hit by water shortage leading to poor hygiene as residents are forced to flush their toilets less frequently and fail to take a bath.
“Blantyre is suffering shortage of water. I was in Blantyre last week and for three days I had no water in my house. I tried to dry clean myself, it was impossible because a plate of water is not sufficient to dry clean the whole of your body,” said Tembo.
“If we in Nyambadwe in Blantyre [posh township], cannot have access to water what about people in Chilomoni, what about people in Ndirande,” wondered the MCP president.
He said the country is facing a problem that government is stifling opposition pointing out that the last parliament which the opposition were in majority; the participation and contribution were effective for national development.
“When new people particularly those who were not in parliament nor even in politics are forced to take leadership in parliament by government, they are bound to say things which they don’t understand,” said Tembo.
“Because most of the substantial parliamentary debates and decisions that were taken [in the last parliament], they were taken with Malawi Congress Party participation. But even more, the MCP itself led in some of these things. For example, food subsidy and the bill covering it, the first party to propose food subsidy in this country was MCP,” he said.
Tembo explained: “In fact, the motion was moved by Chimphonda who was our member of parliament responsible for food issues. First of all it was rejected but secondly when he moved it, it was passed.”
He said fertilizer subsidy was one example of major contributions from the opposition in parliament.
“I said in parliament and Hansard bears me out that the budget we are discussing in parliament would not pass unless it benefitted the village people through subsidy. And I do remember a minister of DPP government came to my house to plead with me that we should pass the budget because government had agreed to my proposal in parliament so that fertilizer should be subsidised.
“I agreed and say let’s go to parliament and he was the first to speak in parliament to say that he had agreed with me that this is a way forward,” explained Tembo.
Tembo who was deposed as Leader of Opposition in parliament after the House which has majority of ruling DPP waived the Standing Orders and procedures of electing the title holder to allow government also take part in elections, was speaking on Capital Radio’s Daybreak Malawi programme.
