Minister Botomani rejects calls to resign, says video clip illegal

Minister of Information, Civic Education and Communications Technology Mark Botomani, has rejected calls to quit over  revelations that  taxpayers are financing travel allowances for the Cabinet ministers and their entourages for coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic assignments, when he had publicly denied the same.

Botomani was also filmed talking to Minister of Health Jappie Mhango before briefing journalists on Covid-19 fight about the allowances issue on how to shield the information from the public.

The ministers did not realise the microphone was on and thought they were discussing off  the record.

The video clip went viral on social media.

Asked by a local radio if he had seen the video recording, Botomani said he has seen it   – but he was furious at having been recorded without his knowledge.

“It was unprofessionally [done], someone just recorded it without our consent,” said Botomani.

Calls have been growing for the government spokesperson to resign.

“I will comment later. I am not commenting now,” said Botomani when asked if he would step down.

But a source who recorded the clip  – has since threatened to release further recordings – which  are  in the public interest.

“There’s a lot of very corrupt things happening in the Covid-19 response, and I am going to blow the whistle on a lot of them,”  the Nyasa Times source said.

Meanwhile,  HRDC has questioned the two ministers logic to swindle Covid-19 fnds when frontline health workers lament in vain the need for essentials to effectively do their jobs while they go around the country spending millions that are supposed to buy  personal protective equipemtn (PPEs) for the health providers.