Goodall now ‘minister of poverty’: Resign, MP Chitete  tells Finance Minister over Malawi economic meltdown

Mchinji North East Member of Parliament, Alex Chitete added his voice to growing calls for Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe to resign, arguing he has failed the country in recent times.

Chitete made the remarks on Tuesday in his contribution to the mid-year budget  budget review presented in the house by Gondwe last Friday.

He said it’s high time the minister honourably resign as he is failing to run the economy affairs of the country .

Chitete said the Gondwe has failed to elevate people’s lives as minister of finance and instead he is busy making Malawians and local investors’ poor than before.

“Mr Speaker sir, this honourable minister has to resign , he is failing the nation big time, instead of ensuring that lives of Malawians and that of local business  investors , and he is reaping them off leading to a lot of local companies shut down and make them poor than before.

“In fact, Mr speaker sir, he [Gondwe] is no longer Minister of Finance and Economic Planning,  he is now Minister of Poverty, financial mismanagement and empty promises planner”, Chitete said amid hand clapping from opposition benches.

This did not go well with government benches with deputy chief whip, Grace Chiumia standing on a point of order , saying the Malawi culture entails people to respect elders like Gondwe.

He said youthful MP Chitete  was supposed to address the minister of finance with respect.

Speaker Richard Msowoya sustained the point of order .

But in his response , Chitete agreed  saying  “indeed Mr speaker sir,  you are right in fact he is a stranger in this house, he is not a member of parliament but imposed here by the President as the minister of Finance.”

Gondwe  has so far refused to resign, saying age could not be used to determine one’s ability to lead.

He remains upbeat that the economy would improve soon pegging growth to be at four percent.

Gondwe also said the weakening Kwacha currency will  start stabilising “ soon”

He  blamed the current economic situation to cashgate, the infamous looting of public resources at Capital Hill, the freeze on aid by traditional donors and floods and drought among others.

He said the Malawi economy was doing much better than other economies in the region soon after they floated their currencies.