Chilima challenges Mutharika on Malawi Covid-19 response: ‘Crisis of public trust’
Malawi’s estranged State Vice President Saulos Chilima has said citizens’ loss of trust in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led government is affecting the fight against the coronavirus pandemic in the country.
In his televised address on issues of national importance on Sunday evening, Chilima said that it is clear that majority of Malawians are not trusting information on Convid-19 from government officials which is undermining efforts to fight the pandemic.
“It is clear to everyone that government faces serious deficit of trust among majority of Malawians. The public reaction to information from the government on Covid-19 proves one key thing -the public does not recognise the current leadership as a credible source of information,” said Chilima.
His comments comes after Lilongwe City South West legislator Ulemu Msungama and Kaliyeka ward councillor Richard Banda, who is also deputy mayor of Lilongwe, doubted the authenticity of the Covid-19 results and questioned the manner in which the whole process was conducted in Lilongwe.
This led to Lilongwe City Council (LCC) inviting relevant stakeholders, who included the district health officer (DHO), Malawi Defence Force (MDF), police and the city’s MPs—Msungama, Alfred Jiya and Nancy Tembo—to find a way forward on the Kaliyeka issue, where medical staff are supposed to collect blood samples and trace contacts of those suspected to have interacted with positive cases.
Malawi needs unifying leader
In his national address, Chilima said the loss of trust hampers government’s efforts to fight the pandemic as people cannot cooperate and this leads to people ignoring measures to combat the pandemic.
The Veep said the fight against coronavirus should be owned by Malawians, warning that the current luck of trust by the public will lead to disaster.
Chilima said the nation now requires a unifying leader, who is not absent from duties, but takes a non-partisan leading role in the fight against the pandemic.
“President[Peter Mutharika should, for once, demonstrate leadership by inviting opposition leaders, civil society leaders, religious leaders, captains of the industry and even celebrities to be part of the national response,” he said.
Malawi’s government has been publicly criticised for its response to the pandemic, particularly its decision to set up a Covid-19 committee consisting only of ministers from the ruling party.
Chilima then condemned some Cabinet ministers who he said are hell bent on eroding the little trust by organising public rallies while people are being chased from churches during worship.
“How can people trust the government then?”
Chilima said nobody should use Covid-19 pandemic to gain political mileage.
“The stakes are way too high for us to be grandstanding and seeking to gain political advantage out of this,” he said.
He also rapped some ministers who are also directly involved in procuring resources for Covid-19 such as personal protective equipment.
Lockdown review
On impending lockdown, Chilima said there is need to first put the house in order before effecting the nationwide lockdown, stressing that the lockdown that government announced and challenged by human rights groups was not well thought after and was rushed.
Last week, demonstrations took place throughout the country protesting against the lockdown which is feared by a majority population as being more dangerous than the pandemic itself.
Chilima said for instance there is need to know the full extent of the pandemic, and if Malawians have what they need to fully comply with the restrictions while maintaining preventive measures.
“Locking people away from their homes without clear and deliberate public health strategy for steering the lockdown is condemning them to hunger. Majority of people would not sustain themselves during lockdown,” pointed out Chilima.
He said banking on using force to enforce the lockdown would be pinning people against the armed forces and a recipe for social unrest.
The Veep said there is urgent need to abandon or revisit the self-isolation or self-quarantine strategy saying so far it is not working to abate the spread of the pandemic.
Chilima also urged government to scale up testing capacity, and procure more testing kits.
“Lack of testing leads to undetected spread of the virus, thus endangering the lives of many Malawians,” said Chilima.
‘Covid-19 is real’
Chilima appealed to Malawians to follow hygiene procedures such as social distancing and washing hands to avoid contracting the virus and spreading the same.
“I want to urge all Malawians not to be deceived. Covid-19 is real and it is here. It is a dangerous disease which currently has no cure,” he said.
He also paid tribute to healthcare workers, frontline officers who are following up on cases of Covid-19 and conducting contact tracing, workers who are collecting samples and testing as well as doctors and nurses who are caring for the sick.
“You are this nation’s finest. The brave of our bravest. We salute your immeasurable sacrifice and promise to stand with you during this hour of uncertainty and danger,” he said.
Malawi has so far registered 34 cases of coronavirus – with three confirmed deaths – but frontline staff say the country’s health sector is ill-equipped and unprepared to respond to the pandemic.
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Someone had to stand up and tell the nation what is going on regarding Covid 19. I don’t think we would have gotten to this state of affairs had DPP/APM acknowledged that we have a national crisis which requires inclusive participation for solutions. Why the general public distrusts government is because you cannot rule out partisan politics in this crisis. It is common knowledge that the more the cases of affected people the more it suits DPP to declare deferment of the fresh presidential election. This would give the DPP government more time to loot the country bare.
Have you noticed recent developments? There have more than normal promotions at the MDF, Prisons. Out of no where Mulli wants to rip us off K11b from July 2011 riots having demanded K3b before.
We can’t trust our government any more.
Poor Mtete, has the government not done something to your knowledge? We have heard the president addressing the nation, setting up a committee that is responsible to deal with this pandemic. Appeal from well wisher to support and the lockdown you rushed to stop at the court. In your imagination, you wanted govt to make special invitations, or them guest of honour to Covid 19 ? Already, the opposition mind was on election not Covid 19. Infact they even refused there is no Covid 19 in Malawi. How do you work with people who are on denial, have no regard to current status of people’s lives, but their focus is on election. The opposition should have also used these televised address to enforce the message to the people of the true existence of corona virus. I don’t have to be given a special recognition to join in the fight of corona virus. You don’t need a special invitation for you to take part. Wake up,
Arafat Zeze and his friends fake accent ex-reverend and Timothy Ntumbo have taken it as a career to discredit what comes from government ad not being credible. It had take CDC and WHO country reps to tell Malawians that the tests are credible and certified. You stupid Zeze has gone to the extent of calling publicly the cabinet Committee as incompetent. Yourself and your fellow musketeers sent your henchmen led by wa homo uja to get a court injunction through the high appetite for palm oil judge. See now, evidence of local transmission. Your blind and illiterate followers do not believe that there is the Corona virus in the world. Instead of guiding them as someone who has been between the four walls of a university classroom, you continue to churn a lot of contradictory end-piece garbage. The other Sunday some illiterate henchman of the ex-reverend camp had the audacity to challenge the current political leadership as not-so-wise wisdom. Who are you idiots and all your stupid blind followers? Get lost and roast in hell. The blood of the COVID-19 victims are on your heads and those of your ugly wives.
Koma the sulking challenge wandipeza bwanji !
Kodi garu iwe chilima uzaoneka pa ballot paper kapena chakweea. Leave chilima he is a mad person with 4mps. Having 4mps shows clearly that he is not popular
Kukamwa ngati nkhwere
Bwana Chilima, You Are second in command . The whole Vice President of Malawi. If you feel or think something is wrong why don’t u go talk to ur Boss? I think U r just embarrassing urself by washing ur dirt linen in public. If u have a bone to pick with ur Boss, do it in private. You know where he is. I’m sure by virtue of ur office Sir, U have access to him. Don’t come on air trying to look all fancy, intelligent and all that. Every body knows u r in DESPERADO
Good one Saulos. This problem needs a task force not decisions made behind closed doors by people that have no expertise in anything. We have not heard from Bwana for days. Even after the Police-Malawi Prison embarassment. Good leaders are ambitious, that’s what made Kamuzu outstanding. If you feel you can make a better leader than else then make the sweat. They need competition otherwise they never pull up their socks.
Absalomu chonde tafatsa tawapatse mpata a Chakwera alankhule — inu ntchito yanu ndiyothandiza kunyamula katundu wa Chakwela kupita ku State House kkkk kaya muli pati kaya!!! kkkk!!!! koma mupole moto kukhala President si phada ayi!!!!!!! Please learn to humble yourself….
KKKK koma Chilima yu satilepheretsa masankho ife a MCP, this idiot is too talkative, zikutiwawatu
Is Saulos CHILIMA vice president? and if he is, is he being paid for holding that office? if he has got clever ideas especially at this time of great suffering and uncertainty would it not be advisable for him to channel those ideas into government in order to support the people in his role as vice president? He seems to spend most of his time talking absolute rubbish. He thinks he is Mr good, always in a hurry to be president. He does not care about the people but himself. Support your government and move forward together. This man together with his comrades in crime are nothing , they will bring disaster to our country.
Chilima you are a power hungry power grabber who has politicised the Covid 19 crisis. You are selfish and your thirst for power is dangerous for Malawi. Can you explain how you and your party UTM has amassed the money you are busy throwing into your campaign. Poor Chakewra doesn’t know what is going to hit him, working with you Chilma, because your single goal is to be the President and you Chilma will not wait to get to No 1. You will destroy Chakwera but worse still you will destroy Malawi.You are in the pocket of the biggest bribers and corrupters in Malawi. Nothing with change if you occupy any position in government.
Mwambi walero. Wa
Akaliyala saimba belu. This guy is so pompous. Is he the torchbear for the MCP/Utm coalition? He is trying to converse people that he is better than DrChakwera He is building his profile , so he should look more important and wise than Dr Chakwera. At the same time, he is trying to make himself visible, so that he can say he is able to stand alone if he will not be given the position of torchbearer for the coalition.
Hahahaha when baby chilima speaks, every well meaning Malawian laughs. The more he speaks the more his emptiness is exposed. This young man is simply power hungry. Every time he sounds as if he is in a boxing ring fighting everybody, little does he know that the presidency is never atained by being bully. Chepetsani phuma a saulosi, nthawi yanu idzakwana.
As of now, even a Minister or an MP is more powerful than chilima becoz at least these can give a directive and people can follow. But chilima can not give any order as at now, all he knows is noise making. Ng’oma yolilitsa sichedwa kung’ambikatu.
And if you have been following chilima, he always talks about himself and nothing about his alliance partner chakwera. He is busy selling UTM and not the UTMCP alliance. That should tell you what kind of man chilima is. Even in UTM, it is only him kufumbula and nobody else is mentioned. At least he should show kuti UTM is not a one man operation. Chakwera and MCP should be mindful of this selfish and power hungry chilima.
APM is by far the best leader. He manages to expose others into corridors of power. We talk of Nankhumwa, Atupele, Ben Phiri, Msaka, Chimulirenji, Jappie Mhango, Navicha, etc etc because APM empowers them. But who deos chilima empower in UTM? It is always me, me, me. Mr I know it all izi sizikuthandizani.
Chilima has been telling Malawians that covid is not real…..and what nosence was he vomiting yesterday?
Yamba ndiwe uzichepese kuti ukambilane ndi pitala wakoyo kuti mugwila ntchito limodzi bwanji. Ulibe ukatswiri wogwila ntchito behind the scenes ndi anthu amene siukugwilizana nawo koma kuwanyoza pagulu ndiye Chakwera akuti wapata running mate? Kaya paja Amati wakwata Kwa a Mphenzi sawopa kunga’nima.. No more vote from me. Zero
this guy is full of shit ,Atupele is busy distributing food items in this time of need ,he is busy fighting the president and chakwera is nowhere to be seen he is busy eating ,and akungoona ngati aku church abweretsa masika .chakwera ,chilima chisankho chikubwerachi mukudzangonjetsedwanso
Here he is. A whole Deputy CEO of Malawi busy burning the same government he claims to be working for. This guy does not cease to amaze me. Arent you in government yourself Saulos now? Why can’t you boldly go to Muthalika; akulu, I think let us do this and this and this so that together we fight this COVID. He is your boss, and no one, even DPP, can stop you from meeting him. Why should you always be a cry baby? Why should you be interested in washing your dirty linen in public? Why do you think we owe you Malawi just becoz munali a MD a AIRTEL? So what? Isn’t a black fella now MD wa AIRTEL now? It is you, together with your bed fella Mtambo and Nyolonyo Chakwera who have worked so tirelessly eroding trust of people in government of the day, and here you are today, capitalizing on the outcome that you yourselves created and wanted. Ndemufuna ife titani?
Honestly there was a time I used to have some respect for this guy coz of his quiteness I thot he was a genius, but every time he opens his mouth, aaaassshhhhhhhh. To me, he is just someone who is good at attention seeking,(like this coward boy, every time goes kwa maiake, amami andimenyatu) and here he is, trying to accumulate cheap mileage. Do you think this is time for you ppo pa utatu wanu (yourself, APM, Chakwera) to be politicizing COVID? Why cant you morons work together at least if you really care about lives of Malawians? What we are interested in are results, and results, not constitution constitution this, do you think we are interested in that? Ife anthu akumudzi we have never even seen the colour of the constitution but what we want are results basi. So if you Chilima doesn’t have any idea of how to effectively work with government on combating COVID, SHUT IT!!!!!!!
Chilima is smart but too desperate for power. Too rude too. How can he side with Judge Kenyatta tho? The man in wig is risking and exposing Malawians to Covid thru his stupid judgements.
Even a fool is considered wise if he keeps silent, and discerning when he holds his tongue.
Good point, why are they taking blood samples for COVID-19? Is it malaria related?
Mpakaten, they check Covid by drawing Blood specimen. How did u want them to check it?
Chilima should join the concerned citizen’s case
The problem we have in Africa is that our leaders like to copy things from the western world without really understanding the reason why.
For example, in the UK and most European countries, the lock down was implemented in order to slow down the spread of the coronavirus so that the hospitals can cope in the short term while on the other hand the government was increasing capacity of the intensive care beds.
Lockdowns are not a solution to completely stop Coronavirus or the covid 19 disease, that is impossible because we still have open borders not to mention the porous borders which we can never manage to seal. Lockdown is just a measure to slow down the spread so that the government can increase capacity in our hospitals but there is a massive trade of with the economy.
Now if the Malawi government want to implement a lockdown they should tell the nation exactly what they want to achieve during that lockdown. Because with the lock down there are dare economic consequences that should be taken into account as the western world has realised.
You can see that most European countries are now ending their lockdowns although they still have tens of thousands of covid 19 cases because their economies can not cope any longer, they are collapsing. Now Malawian leaders want to implement a lockdown while we only have 33 cases, and the question I have for them is this, what exactly do you want to achieve and what is your exist strategy out of the lockdown? 40% of our economy depends on donors who are now suffering from the impact of covid 19, if you lockdown the country have you done your calculations to understand the impact to the economy and have you figured out how you will recover from if without donors?
For Malawi the lockdown is worse than the disease itself, what we need is to encourage social distancing, hand washing, and most importantly testing and contact tracing and then quarantine and treatment for those testing positive.
So if UK and other European countries to your knowledge the lock down was to reduce the spread, why not in Malawi? The lock down started in China and all countries are doing the same. So it is copying when it is down by MALAWI. This ignorance is what will kill more people. Covid.19 is real and is taking away life. Young or old. Don’t deceive people.
The answers to your myopic question are simple…
First, our people are so poor to survive under a lockdown situation without receiving support from elsewhere, so if the government can support those fellow citizens all over the country with enough resources to survive during the lockdown then I have no qualms against the lockdown.
Secondly, I already mentioned above that we as a country, depend on 40% donor support for our national budget and any lockdown will have a major impact on our economy that we will never recover from because the donors we depend on have economic issues of their own due to covid.
So if you can not see sense in the answers above just know that you are one of the cashgaters in our country who never feel embarrassed that though we have been independent for over 50 years we are still a nation of beggars leaving on handouts from other countries as if we are lesser humans to look after ourselves.
Stupid . This is not time to politicise. Unya uona. Mcp is quiet they are just saying look at this baby who doesn’t know politics. 4mps how far will you go!
I pray by and by Malawians are beginning to see the kind of person SKC is. In the first place all our public trust issues were created by him. He has been sowing the seeds of mistrust in government and having successfully done so he in a subtle way, comes back and says there is public mistrust in the government.
With the world health organisation and CDC siding with government on the number of Covid cases which these very same opposition guys made the public to believe were false, SKC is afraid his propaganda against government will be exposed. So here he is, trying to create another negative picture of government so that unsuspecting Malawians shud confused again. This cunning conjectures are really pricking to any sane person.
I wonder how Chakwera is ever going to work with a guy who is so cunning like this. Wherever u are LAZ be afraid working with this mafia.
‘This led to Lilongwe City Council inviting stakeholders…to find a way forward on Kaliyeka issue, where staff are supposed to collect blood samples..’ How exactly is Malawi testing for Covid 19, because as far as am aware blood tests are not part of the test for Covid 19. The test involves a swab for the nose and throat and a chest x-ray. Covid 19 virus is not blood borne, so really blood test can really come as blood culture in patients whose temperature is persistently raised not for contact tracing.
You start a misinformation campaign then give a speech about luck of trust. Politicising this Corona fight doesn’t show leadership to me. Instead of standing up and doing your part in this fight, you stand and point fingers. You are the same people who are getting injuctions to halt governments efforts to fight this virus. This is political opportunism, you are a crook in sheep’s clothing. This is a matter of life and death, these things will backfire at some point.Bakili Muluzi used to take Malawians for fools too when we trusted him. Now his party can’t recover. Politically Chilima is immature, Mr chakwera has done well not to speak. When the death toll rises and people angry, they will remember.
You stupid clown chilima. Every time you’ve come to make a statement, you make everyone think that you have something of importance to say but in reality you have fuck all to say. You will remain in opposition until doomsday. Baboon.
Thanks Dr Chilima you are giving us hope that together we can end this Covud-19, while others are busy distributing Maize and busy conducting mass rally, busy bullying innocent people in Churches you are busy giving advising these DPP how to handle this Covud-19, thats how a leader must behave, only A cadet who can not see the wisdom of Chilima
Cursed is the womb that gave birth to this satanist. He is playing Lucifer’s role. But God is great. He doesn’t tolerate pride. This idiot will end up so miserably.
@Suka,i feel like you are too much Sir, your comment has attack the mother, really? Is this good? Are you sure? I know we both experience the anger here at this platform,but mother? Aaa come on brother, are you serious? This is too much sir, I beg you please please, reduce your anger! This is not right, I condemned this type of insult! Why cadets are you so good insulting women? This is evil spirit!May God forgive you brother, feel the pain inside your heart.
Very good tell them SKC ✌🏿