Malawi mafia ministers plundering Covid-19 money, this nonsense must stop

Some people  in the country have always wondered why government has, strongly and repeatedly, resisted every call for an all-inclusive approach in managing novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

Well, this is it.

The revelations that ministers and selected members of Parliamentary Health Committees will, each, be pocketing a hefty K450 000 and K350 000 respectively is the news none, among the beneficiaries, wanted the public to hear.

But thank God, amidst every attempt to keep the public away from this story, we have the facts before us.

Today, Malawians bore the truth and they are self-evident that we are run by a mafia government that doesn’t tell the truth to its people.

When stories flew around social media that ministers were, for each Covid-19 meeting, pocketing K300 000 allowance, Information Minister Mike Botomani, was quick to rubbish it all as fake news.

Today, when push was brought to his shovel regarding the hefty ministerial allowances based on an internal communication, Botomani has, helplessly, committed two errors which, as a result, has confirmed he is a lying minister working for a lying government.

The first error is Bottoman’s vain attempt to run away from facing and handling telling facts about allowances brought before him by uttering: “I don’t speak on policy issues.” Come on, Botomani!

Policy is a position government takes or doesn’t take on any issue of public interest.

On Covid-19, government has taken a position of allowancing, hefty, Cabinet minister and members of Parliamentary Health Committees.

By remaining mum on this alliance issue through hiding in the word ‘policy’, Botomani has just exposed ill-intentions of the government he works for.

If he, taking it at his words, doesn’t speak on ‘policy’ issues, why did he, in the first place, take up that interview where he branded the K300 000 allowance story as fake news? Shame.

The second error he committed is to appeal to the public that Cabinet Ministers and the Parliamentary need to go on the ground and asses preparedness at the local government level.

Well and fine; but look here.

There is nothing wrong with Ministers or Parliamentary Committees, even if they have capacity or not, doing monitoring work on the ground.

But there is something wrong when government doesn’t want to open up as in how much will be involved in this monitoring process. Where are our District Commissioners to report on the same. Why not every MP report about his constituency to National Assembly.

We all know, if officials will be on the road, they will need money for fuel, accommodation, meals and communication. That’s a fact.

What Malawians want is a Covid-19 management process that is transparent and accountable.

Unfortunately, government doesn’t seem interested to be accountable and transparent in the way they are, especially, managing the funds involved. That is where the problem is.

Malawians have been through a series of thieving projects well orchestrated by this Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leadership.

They just don’t trust this government, especially, when money is involved.

That is why we have this allowance debate, today; and I am certain, with days, more questions are going to follow.

There are, already, questions as to which companies are involved in the procurement processes of Covid-19 PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and others. Has there been any announcement form government as to what is happening in this area?

Honestly speaking, it’s not easy to trust the DPP administration. In fact, on Covid-19 financing, Malawians are being ripped and there is no evidence needed beyond Botomani’s failure to put the record straight.

We must stop this.

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