Ministers Mia, Lowe convoy draws public fire

About 60 vehicles were on Wednesday tailing two ministers in the southern region where they were  on duty, drawing public fire that the motorcade is sprawling.

Minister of Transport Sidik Mia, who is also Malawi Congress Party (MCP) deputy president, has an entourage of 27 vehicles as he inspected Thyolo-Thkerani to Makhanga road and East Bank road.

Minister of Agricultural, Lobin Lowe, had about 28 vehicles on his duty tour in the Lower Shire on familiarisation tour.

Lowe was accompanied by his deputy Agnes Nkusankhoma. They visited five irrigation schemes in the Lower Shire

Most of the vehicles were big fuel guzzlers.

The development comes as President Lazarus Chakwera and his vice Saulos Chilima are championing public sector reforms, aimed at reducing unnecessary expenditure while ensuring efficiency.

But the ministers while admitting the big motorcades, explained that not all vehicles came from their respective ministries rather from government departments and other institutions, which are stakeholders in the projects the ministers were attending to.