Jooma survives car wreck: Malawi newly appointed economic minister
Malawi’s newly appointed Economic and Development Minister Ralph Jooma Saturday morning survived an accident after his official vehicle, a white Toyota Camry, overturned in Balaka.
The minister was rushing to Chileka Airport in Blantyre to escort President Joyce Banda who has left for the United Kingdom on official duties.
The minister told Nyasa Times in a telephone interview after the accident that he survived unhurt together with his police bodyguard and driver a Mr Gadabu.
“I am just coming from some hospital in Blantyre for check up and doctors have told me that I am alright,” said Jooma.
He added that his two colleagues were also in good condition and have since travelled back to Lilongwe.
The accident occurred around 10:30hours at Salima Turnoff along the M1 Road after the driver lost concentration as he avoided to hit a seemingly intoxicated cyclist.
“There was a cyclist in front who happened to go side by side of the road and that disturbed concentration of my driver who then lost control of the wheel before the vehicle veered off the road and overturned. But thank God all of us came out unhurt,” Jooma told Nyasa Times.
He said by the time they were coming out of the vehicle it was still upside down.
After the accident Jooma was picked him by Grace Maseko (Local Government and Rural Development minister) who was coming behind him also heading for Chileka and he proceeded to the event in Blantyre.
Jooma, who was elevated to head the Economic and Development Ministry on Friday, was still using the Toyota Camry vehicle which he had been using as deputy minister of finance.
The Mangochi Monkey Bay parliamentarian, who replaced Goodal Gondwe who resigned after being charged with treason, has assumed a huge task of finding ways of making the best of the much touted Economic Recovery Plan and bring back the country’s economy to life.
Gondwe became the second minister to resign as Economic Minister in about five months after Atupele Muluzi, the 2014 presidential candidate for the former ruling United Democratic Front (UDF).
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
