MP Lunguzi says children dying of hunger in Malawi: Queries on ‘missing’ $156mil from Indian bank
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Dedza East member of parliament, Juliana Lunguzi has said the Peter Mutharika government should stop living a lie that no one will die of hunger in the country, saying already four children have starved to death in her constituency.
Lunguzi said in parliament that four “kids” have died with hunger-related illnesses and the situation is not getting any better.
“I want to register and repeat here that in Dedza East, now we have registered four deaths. And when I say this, Honourable Members, I am not saying you have killed the kids. What I am saying is: because we have hunger, somebody has died. So we need to understand each other so that we can go and seek solutions,” said Lunguzi.
Health officials in Dedza confirmed the deaths.
Commenting on government calls to engage into irrigation, Lunguzi said she did a research and found out that in 2008, Parliament approved US$30 million to the agriculture sector. In 2011, a loan of US$50 million was taken by government and in 2012, Malawi sourced a loan of US$76,500 million from the Indian Bank.
“In all the three loans, something was allocated to greenbelt. And when Honourable Minister was addressing us, he said that one of the solutions was to mobilise resources. I am sceptical, as a Malawian. When we mobilise these resources what are we doing with these resources? People from Dedza East are and Malawians are asking,” said Lunguzi.
“I feel that the problem is that we do not have resources. It is how we are using the resources as a country. This is laughable that for the past six years, we have taken loans amounting to US$156 million. Everyone has something on greenbelt. Where is the maize? If we are going to Zambia to look for maize when we sourced a loan as a country and we are asking the private sector and donors to give us money again, for what? Somebody knows where this money is.
“And when you read the deliberations in the reports, we all waived the Standing Order because it was urgent in view of impending climate change. Yet when you are giving us the statements today, you also say we are in this crisis because of climate change. But we already agreed on how to solve this crisis through the millions that we have allocated,” said Lunguzi.
The Dedza East MP said she will soon ask parliament to get a detailed report from the Minister of Finance and Minister of Agriculture.
“Where is the US$156 million loan from the Indian Bank? Because it is not us who will pay but the young people like me are going to pay.
“So on behalf of the young people of Malawi, I am feeling the burden of this loan. And I feel sorry for Malawi, as old people, you can keep on borrowing and asking for money. We are sending SOS that we are in a crisis. When we borrow, we don’t know what we did. We bought tractors and shared among ourselves. We can’t even account for those tractors. We claimed we have our own greenbelt programme, we can’t point at it.
“We said of the loans, through you Mr Speaker, Sir, that in Salima, Mangochi, Karonga we are going to develop irrigation programmes covering 1 million hectares and we borrowed money,” said Lunguzi.
She asked the Government Assurance Committee, the Legal Affairs Committee and the Agriculture Committee of Parliament to sit down with the Minister of Finance and Minister of Agriculture and “tell us where this money is. Otherwise, we cannot keep on borrowing. Our young people will never have good life because of us and what we are doing.”
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Some of the comments here show how some people speak simply for the sake of backing their political party. Think nationally, not in partisan terms. For those who are not well informed, J-Lu is one who is literally on the ground in her constituency, helping people everyday and really working for the people! Unlike your idiots who visit their constituents only when it is time to get votes! She has made a simple request that government accepts that there is a crisis and has a valid point that funds were borrowed to avoid this situation and we need to know… Read more »
No matter how our foreign friends help us,without transparency,nothing will materialize.we are thankful for the Japanese generosity,but at the same time,we have to be pesimestic taking into account the trend of misappropriations of public funds which is the order of the day in our country.The best thing to do is to hand over the funds directly to the NGOs,giving directly to individuals in the government,is tantamount to throwing it into a sinkhole.That $156million given to the Minister of Finance Mr Yes Bwana,is already in private wallets and our suffering people will continue to suffer more.Whatever the case,the people of Malawi… Read more »
Aghama or whatever you call yourself, understand what the Mp is saying osangoona mbali imodzi ayi. She is saying its high time the Government should come out of nutshell ndikuvomeleza kuti ku Malawi kuli njala, Cadet wa dpp iweti galu.
mai lunguzi nanga inu mukuchitapo chani kuthandiza anawo kuti asafe ndi njalayo? mukukhalila kudzudzula boma mmesa inuso muli mboma. this is not the time of been vocal to buy peoples votes. nndi zotheka kuti inu mutenge salary yanu nkuthandiza ena akufa ndi njalawo mmalo momangolongolola. this is the time for love and sharing what little we have with the people who are starving. do that sister from your heart in good faith.thats what GOD wants osamangosokosa. when there is aproblem first try to find a solution then after mufufuze chayambitsa vutolo. osati kuyamba mwafufuza chayambitsa musanalithetse vutolo. that is why… Read more »
53 a d 54 why the hate? the role of mp is not to share maize but rather to make laws. This is what the woman is trying to do. sad n painful indeed that every year we keep on borrowing for the we projects.
mai lunguzi,inutu ndinu mp.ngati ana akufa ndi njala inuyo mukuchitapo chani.everytime mumachita blame boma komatu inuso muli mboma(but opposition side).
take action adyetseni ana akusowa wakudyawo ndi salary yanu ya mwezi umodzi okha.adzichokera athu kunja kudzadyetsa(thandiza)amene alibe chakudya inu koma mungolongolola
osapangapo kathu.
ino sithawi yokuwa kuti athu adzakupatseni mavoti .its time for help from your heart.what little you have share with those who are starving.
MP Lunguzi you are wrong but you are also right. Wrong To say children in your area died of hunger.The facts i read were two died after eating poisonous cassava what it means is even if there was maize and at that particular time they decided to eat cassava they would have died anyway.It is disheartnening that a Health person like you can say maize is the only determinant that there is food.Dedza has lots of potatoes which is starch,carbohydrates.Why cant you encourage them to eat potatoes irish and relish.CHANGE OF MINDSET my honorable.You have been in diaspora were you… Read more »
And Kamunthu kena kali busy kumakamba za FISP! Do u know how many people benefit from such packages and who are they? I am an extensionist responsible for registering potential beneficiaries and beginning 2015/16 farming season ndi jackpot. out of over 1000 HIS less than 100 benefited from the package. FISP is anon starter and and a political tool for campaign. universal subsidy is the best. let real farmers benefit and help them produce enough eventually govt can come in to regulate prices for agricultural products to enable even the poorest afford them. Fertiliser alone can’t enable farmers harvest enough… Read more »
Well done Juliana. Kodi ku Phalombe Nsanje Mwanza Mangochi kulibe ma MP?! Good things are only coming from few people over and over again. Can we develop a country like this if we have a Parliament full of idiots sitting phwii ! No wonder Malawi is not going anywhere.
This Girl is sharp. She can see things which even reports have failed to see. Lunguzi you have guts girl its pity you are in opposition . Nanga tizikhala ndi nduma kunena a Kaliati ?!