Malawi newspaper columnist slams Mia: ‘Cat who thinks is a Tiger’

Transport Minister Sidik Mia, who is also deputy president of Malawi Congress Party (MCP), has received criticism from prominent newspaper columnist, warning him that his ego against Vice President Saulos Chilima could append President Lazarus Chakwera’s agenda.

The no-holds-barrel Cut the Chaff column in the Weekend Nation published on Saturday December 19 2020  follows Mia’s decision to boycott Chilima’s recent visits of public projects despite the fact that other Ministers were accompyaning Chilima.

The column, written by Managing Editor of Nation Publications Limited, Ephraim Munthali advises Mia that the sooner he realises that Chilima is an asset and him a liability the better.

“Mia chose to conveniently overlook the fact that as Minister of Economic Planning and Development, Chilima is in charge of the country’s Public Sector Investment Program that identifies and controls which projects to pursue and get funded from the development budget,” reads part of the column.

The columnist says Mia is being toxic in his politicking arguing that other Ministers like Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda who is a blood member of MCP showed up when Chilima visited the construction site of Mponela Rural Hospital.

“Now given that obviously Chakwera approved Chilima’s projects tour…Mia has also shown Chakwera a not so nice middle finger gesture as his ego and political ambitions get the better of him.

The column goes blunt to call Mia a political lightweight.

“The problem with Mia is that he overates himself, as former President Peter Mutharika once said, Mia thinks is a Tiger when he is in fact just a cat,” it reads.

“And that Cat is bitter,” continues the column “because an actual Tiger this year snatched away the game meat that is the Vice presidency, a long held ambition for Mia.”

The column has also not spared Mia’s wife Abida the Deputy Minister of Lands who “fancies herself as some sort of second lady all while acting like a full Minister…she does everything she can to overshadow her boss, Kezzie Msukwa just because hubby is ceremonial party vice president.”

Cut-the-chaff column last week rapped President Lazarous  Chakwera, branding him in a Siku Transport motto as a leader who is here today and there doing nothing tangible.