MCP MPs rebuffs Mutharika’s banquet: ‘Mapwevupwevu govt’

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) on Wednesday rebuffed President Peter Mutharika’s invitation which was extended Members of Parliament to the State House banquet, citing economic challenges which the country is going through as reason to go make merry.

Addressing a news conference at the party headquarters in Lilongwe, MCP publicity secretary Dr Jessie Kabwira said the MCP MPs will not be feasting with the ruling party and President Mutharika when majority of Malawians – half of whom live below the poverty line – are starving.

She also said the palace party will not be in the spirit of austerity measures.

“Even ambulances are not operating so how can we be dinning and winning at State House, this is setting priorities upside down,”  said Kabwila.

Member of Parliamen t for Lilongwe South Peter Dimba , who is also a member of the Parliamentary finance Committee, accused government of lying to Malawians on delay in funding the civil servants salaries.

Dimba said it could have made sense if government could just have revealed that “it is broke.”

Chairperson of Parliamentary  health committee Juliana Lunguzi argued that government is not serious in running affairs of government.

“How can government spend K300 million for independence celebrations why could they just use that money in paying civil servants, pay civil servants now, postpone the dinner, don’t build banquet halls, these are people who like parties in times of grief. MCP is asking for sanity to prevail,” said Kabwila.

MP for Kasungu Central Nkhata accused the DPP government of  failing to run government.

“I will give you the example, if we go into details of the expenditure of just ended financial year, government had overspent with billions of money and yet most assemblies have not been funded, these people are dreaming in black and white and not in colour as as they have been speaking,” said Nkhata.

Kusamba Dzonzi of Dowa West took another swipe to the DPP led Government saying it is immoral for the government to hold State House banquet.

“This government is not sensitive on these issues,” he said.

Rumphi East MP, Kamlepo Kalua accused government in parliament of being too obsessed with banquents, labelling the Peter Mutharika administration as a ‘government of Mapwevupwevu [parties]’.

He asked government to prioritise in paying civil servants and not dinners.

“How do you expect civil servants to survive without money? It is unacceptable,” Kamlepo told Nyasa Times later in an interview.

“Money should be put in good use to pay civil servants not spending in mapwevupwevu (banquents at State House),” he added.

Malawi national assembly budget seating is scheduled to rise on July 4, 2015 amid unresolved issues on Malawi Savings Bank (MSB) sale, the MK92 billion scam reports and the PwC MK577 billion analysis reports.

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