Opposition to quiz govt on food, medicine shortages: Malawi Parliament meets Feb 22

Malawi opposition parties have said they will take government to task in the forthcoming mid-year budget review of parliament, accusing the Peter Mutharika administration to have failed to address the problem.

Kabwila:   We will seek answers from government
Kabwila: We will seek answers from government

The opposition lamented food and medicine shortages and skyrocketing food prices as the nation grapples with a severe drought.

Parliament meets from February 22 to review the national budget that was passed in June last year.

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has accused the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government that it has failed to handle the hunger situation in terms of relief food and distribution and the fertilizer subsidy programme.

.”They should show us how the procurement of maize happened and why things have gone wrong,” MCP spokeswoman, Jessie Kabwila, said.

Kabwila said government has to explain why it’s allowing its citizens to spend nights on queue at Admarc depots in empty stomachs when billions of kwacha was allocated by parliament in the budget for maize.

She said the DPP government “needs to provide clear answers.”

MCP said they will also raise the issue on electricity problems and the collapsing health system, saying government should ensure that the right to food and essential health services is grantee to Malawian citizens by making sure that maize is available in Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc) deports and that adequate drug supply is also available in all public hospitals.

Peoples Party (PP) Leader in Parliament, Uladi Mussa, also said they will raise the issues if hunger and medicine shortages.

Uladi Mussa: We wiill demand answers
Uladi Mussa: We will demand answers

Mussa said: “Poor Malawians are suffering. They are failing to buy maize because either the maize is not there or they don’t have money to buy it. Why is government failing to control the food crisis?”

The PP acting president pointed out that Malawians pare dying [from] diseases that can easily be cured.

He said poor people are also “feeling the pinch “as they don’t have the financial muscle to buy the medicine from Pharmacies.

On food shortage situation, Mussa calls upon government to take necessary measures to make sure that maize is readily available in all Admarc deports.

Mussa also said they will demand answers from Minister of Finance Goodall Gondwe on how the budget is being implemented and the skyrocketing inflation.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!

Follow us in Twitter
24 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
shemstone zimba
shemstone zimba
8 years ago

lets joins hands in combating hunger blame game can not work here hunger is sometimes natural dont say we are in opposition to oppose tmrw y’ll be in the same shoes we have to understand donors are not giving aid and malawi has been relying on donors for a long time even if we can give yu the mandate without donors yu will still fail this is tough going according to us try to be productive while in opposition so that malawians can assess yu better for whatever yu can say yu will still rely on revenue assist the Government… Read more »

Sapitwa
Sapitwa
8 years ago

Sure Kabwila do that. We just don’t want you to make useless noises that will not yield corrective actions. School the government on what tools they can apply to lower the commodity prices or appreciate the Kwacha against the foreign currency. School them on the maize scarcity on what they could do better to fix the problem if it were you in government. School them on how you think they could rectify the hospital problem. We need robust debate not just empty noises. We support you Kabwila and your team. If you fail this time again, then osadzatinyasanso ndi chinkonono… Read more »

james Mutuwankhwandwe
james Mutuwankhwandwe
8 years ago

Opposition, please stop promising us that you will take government to task when Parliament sits. This is is always always your signature tune, once you receive allowances, you sit phwiii especially you Kabwila. You must know the difference between Parliament and College- stupid.

Mlomwe
Mlomwe
8 years ago

Professor without leadership skill amangodziwa kugwa basi ngati mene yagwera kwacha.Alomwe ndi mburi zotheratu

Jimbo
Jimbo
8 years ago

The Malawi Kwacha seems to be losing value as each day passes. It is currently 1,081 to the GB Pound!! This means the Kwacha is virtually valueless. Goodall Gondwe’s answer is to leave the economy in God’s hands. He is the Minister of Finance not God. He cannot abrogate his responsibilities in this way. He is clearly without any ideas as to how to improve the economy. Why does APM keep him in post? He should be dismissed at once and replaced by someone with financial ability whether DPP or not. The country is in crisis and the government are… Read more »

mangu
mangu
8 years ago

Mufanso simkumva olo pang’ono adpp makani.

Enukweni gondwe
Enukweni gondwe
8 years ago

Dpp always is not alert for every disaster. too shame to all leaders of dpp with your supporters. failure is a failure. Go home before you more and difficult problems.

Enukweni gondwe
Enukweni gondwe
8 years ago

Apa boma la Dpp latondekaso kachiwiri ndimo vikawira na bingu kukana kusambizgika namuwonerera waka masuzgo mucharu.

Matongoanu
Matongoanu
8 years ago

The problem is we have a very weak opposition that only knows how to bark and not how to bite. How can you let this fool reduce Malawians to this level. The opposition is pathetic and easy to corrupt and bribe. You are all in the same sinking boat as DPP.

Grey mpithi
Grey mpithi
8 years ago

Brothers and sisters, especially u the so called honourable members. U are so provokative on issues that even urself doesnt ve answer to it. U cannot gain any political milestone here, even us from the villages we know the truth. Our government have no money to address all the problems u mention. We go by zero deficit, we spend as we earn. Uladi Mussa do not forget that ur PP government its the major causitive of this, where can the government get money knowingly that u stole it. Hunger and problems will never last coz its one sign of end… Read more »

Read previous post:
Controversy over new Macra chair appointment

There is controversy over the recent appointment of Mervis Mangulenje as Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) board chairperson as the...

Close