Malawians questioning some expenditures on funds for Covid-19 pandemic fight
Malawians have expressed dismay with the state of Bwaila Covid-19 Testing Centre in Lilongwe as there reports of misappropriation from the K17 billion latest funding on the on the Covid-19 pandemic fight while the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (Dodma) is under fire to explain the K6.2 billion expenditure of the previous funding.
Journalist Idriss Ali Nassah first pressed Dodma on detailed expenditure reports on coronavirus activities before Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) joined the calls.
And the public perception now it that social activist Onjezani Kenani and the Citizens fundraising initiative is transparent and accountable and hence more trustworthy than the government.
Malawians are almost unanimously refusing to trust the Lazarus Chakwera administration with nay money and are happily channelling their humble contributions to the Kenani led citizen’s initiative.
“There is no way to sugar-coat this; this is an alarming indictment of the Chakwera administration. It is an unambiguous charge that Chakwera and his administration have lost the confidence of those that voted it into power,” writes columnist Allan Ntata in the Sunday Times newspaper.
During one of his weekly updates, on Sunday, January 17, President Lazarus Chakwera told the nation that his government had released K6.2 billion to the COVID-19 Taskforce.
According to the President, part of the money was used as following:
- K60 million on planning meetings;
- K535 facilitating the return of Malawians from South Africa;
- K185 million on public awareness on media platforms;
- K580 million on border patrols;
- K72 million to support victims of gender-based violence during the pandemic with materials and cash transfers;
- K100 million to disinfect schools;
- K50 million to monitor and enforce COVID-19 protocols in the workplace;
- K50 million on mapping where to put isolation centers.
But Dodma has announced Malawians for their failure to account for the resources through giving Malawians a detailed account on how they have spent the resources.
Social commentator Lyson Sibande writing on Facebook pointed out that there are well-meaning and competent public and political officers in government who could work and perform like Onjezani Kenani but the system chokes them.
“You don’t beat the system. The system beats you. That’s why you have some good and able men who get into political offices and fail to bring the desired change because it’s only when they are inside the system that they discover you can’t just change anything.
“Tradition is hard to break. Bureaucracies and political influences are traditions that are hard to break. But if we want to see many Onjezani Kenanis in our public and political services for an efficient, transparent and accountable government then we must first desire a change in some customary administrative procedures and political traditions that ruling parties get trapped into once they are in power,” reads Sibande’s post.
He continued saying: “In elementary science, liquid always takes the shape of the container. Unless you change the shape of the container, any liquid you put into it will always take the same shape. I believe that’s what happens with governments. You can change leaderships and ruling parties. But they will all behave the same unless you change the system. “
Chakwera declared a State of National Disaster and appealed for help amid escalating Covid-19 cases in the country.
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Apatu namvetsa tsopano kuti only K535 used for facilitation of Malawian returnees from SA otherwise Chakwera akukunamiza pamepo press them hard. Matikiti ku munororama timagula tokha R850 yokayezetsera covid19 imachokera muthumba mwathu yolopirira the so called ya pa beitbridge R850 inanso timatenga muthumba mwathu, nanga zomwe imathandiza boma ndi iti. This is an insult and a slap on our faces (returnees). Is this not another #Returnee Gate by the Chakwera govt?
Kodi mkulu amazitama kuti ndioganiza boo uja alikuti? Siyemweyi amasokosa kuti azathana ndi Kuba? Lero ziri pamphuno opanda chichitike. Banana republic
These tents remind me those that used to be erected by soldiers and myp scouts whenever kamuzu was holding events at njamba park.
Yes covid may go at some point but a tent is too temporary a structure Vis a Vis the funding. It’s very interesting to see that an ant is way more wise and intelligent in preparing for rains than how MW is responding to a pandemic.
What is wrong with this nation
I am actually coming to think that the money so far spent on unseen deliverables would match what foreign scientists have spent on the vaccine. This is MG-Mapwala Government. Working with priorities upside down. Very creative on looting public resources. … Shame…look now the fact that people r dying with poor health capacity is not alarming at all, am curious to know what sort of disaster will bring u to conscious..it can’t be worse than this….. You loot the money just to spend when u r about to die from the pandemic. In fact the people u want to outshine… Read more »
The amenyes have eaten the money and sent it to their bank accounts in the UAE and Dubai. You are all chiseeerooos
It could have been better if things like Oxygen cylinders, ventilators, testing kits, procurement of beds, recruitment big more medical staff, PPE, setup of more admission facilities were more mentioned than fraud conduits… patrolling borders, disinfecting schools, etc…
Bwaila testing center! What a big joke. Kuchita kuposedwa ndi street testing yomwe akupanga anzathu. Koma Malawi guys,,,, ine nde sindikupanga nawo. Mwati o president ndo ochakwera ????
Kuno ku Malawi ndikomvetsa chisoni. Ndalama zikabwera zimene maiko ena atithandiza zimangothera kubedwa. Instead of helping needy people, these greedy people satisfy their pockets first. This is sad and pathetic. God help us.
The explanation of the expenses raises more questions than answers.
Covid testing centre in the countrys CAPITAL, sad.