Prof Chisi takes swipe at Chakwera’s counter-Covid-19 strategy

Professor John Chisi—President of Umodzi Party (UP) which is a member of the ruling Tonse Alliance government—has taken a swipe at President Lazarus Chakwera led administration for “being off-track” with the way it is countering the Coronavirus pandemic in the country.

He said it was “mournful” that despite Malawi’s myriad of experts in numerous fields, Chakwera has no clear plan to effectively manage Covid-19 in the country.

Prof. John Chisi – Umodzi Party Leader

Folly of copy and paste

According to Chisi—who is a scientific researcher, practicing medical doctor and professor of medicine at the University of Malawi’s College of Medicine specialized in the field of experimental pathology (Haematology)—Malawi needed to “customize its approach towards the handling of the virus.”

An interview with Rainbow TV monitored by Nyasa Times Chisi said that for instance, President Chakwera and team “needed to understand the dynamics of this country.”

Chisi gave an example of late Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli who he said understood the dynamics of his country and had a customized approach in handling the pandemic, and did not rush to shut down schools as Malawi did because he knew young people were not going to die of Covid-19.

Said Chisi: “First of all, they [Chakwera and team] had to first understand the demographics of Malawi. What is the distribution of our population? You will realise that our population unlike that of most of Europe is a youthful population, and youths do not die of Covid-19, they are simply vectors.”

“And yet we copied and pasted what was being done in the UK here and went ahead to shut down our schools. Now, tell me, after schools were shut, did we not see the same pupils loitering in markets and getting unwanted pregnancies? How many have died of Covid-19?” he questioned.

Chisi tipped Chakwera administration “to consult and engage experts on such issues” to save the country from being hit hard should the third wave of the Coronavirus come.

MCP egoism

Umodzi Party, which was the first of the eight other parties to join the UTM-MCP alliance last year, said it was time MCP started consolidating the various party manifestos as they had agreed.

Chisi said “without Chakwera roping in strategic ideas of other Tonse partners including Umodzi Party, the development of Malawi remains an illusion.”

He said: “When we were joining the alliance, you must understand that we had our own manifesto. And upon joining the alliance we were assured that the manifestos would be consolidated because we had made it clear as Umodzi [Party] that we had it in our blueprint how we would make the 1 million jobs possible.”

But, eight months later, Chisi said, nothing seems to be happening.

Time to industrialise

“Umodzi Party has always had a solution for unemployment in this country, and that is why we thought we would be of great assistance to the Alliance. The solution to unemployment is to industrialise this country because it is the industries that can provide jobs,” said Chisi.

He said much as MCP had done well in its initial year as far as the agriculture sector is concerned, the sector was not an ideal solution to turn the country into a robust economy.

“Now we need to industrialise this country and create jobs. And that is what we are ready to offer as Umodzi Party,” he said.

Teachers’ impasse

Commenting on miscellaneous issues, Chisi said it was sad that government “was not serious in the manner it was handling teachers on the issue of Covid-19 allowances.”

Teachers in the country and the government have failed to reach a compromise with the former giving an ultimatum of up to seven days for the latter to pay them their allowances or stage an unspecified action should they not be paid.

Professor Chisi said the impasse was impacting negatively on the education system in the country which will take a long time to heal.

“The problem is that government is taking teachers for granted. It needs to reason with teachers and come to a compromise. After all, if you asked me, teachers are the most rational and understanding persons,” he said.

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Chinyengo
Chinyengo
2 years ago

Is the professor trying to say that it is ok for elderly like him to die with covid? Does the professor know that some youths who are also vectors brought the virus to their homes from school and are now orphans?

John chidongo
2 years ago

A pulofesa Chisi mwayionera patali. Munapusisidwa. Munayanira mumvi wakulowani maso hehede. Mwalirira kuutsi ndi kunong’oneza bondo. Kuyimba ng’oma anzanu avina. Bolavwa Mbakuwaku anali nji osatekeseka anayionera patali kuti ngozi ikubwera.

bentby
2 years ago

who doesn’t know chisi,? this guy is just a chancers.

Nyamu
Nyamu
2 years ago

It’s funny that he is praising Magufuli who succumbed to the virus himself because of his arrogance. While customization is a good idea, Tanzania got it totally wrong. They have lost many people including 10 senior government officials within 1 month

Justice for all
Justice for all
2 years ago

Am happy the fact that he can speak out and he utilize the reason and I personally I agree with him really the president he doesn’t have a clue what current situation to deal with it

Mzakwacha Nixon's
Mzakwacha Nixon's
2 years ago

Prof.Chisi,
I request you to stand as an MP…you will make it for sure.Start underground now,2025,will win with flying colors.Nkhukumanya kwamba kale wamwana iwe,una Inborn vinjero,wapambana chomene na Mbuzi yakukwako yira,kunifumba Cha,wayimanya kale.
At the same time,i request His Excellency to give you ministerial post,you are fit with development ideas.
Yewo Chomene,
+27724722299
[email protected]

Chinyhu Chawaka
Chinyhu Chawaka
2 years ago

Imwe namwe mwati mupemphe a president wapereke u ministerial position kwa munthu wakufuntha nga chisi? imwe zakuti doda ndakuzelezeka ili nthe mukumanya cha?

naneo
naneo
2 years ago

kkkkk sure copy and paste ndizomwe amadziwapo a Nonse alliance.i support you Chisi

Al-Baghdad - The Caliph
Al-Baghdad - The Caliph
2 years ago

Waona nyengo ikumala palibe chake akupezako personally. There are professionals in the task force. Medical officers aren’t the only professionals to control the pandemic. Covid19 is social, economic, medical and political. This man is antiCongress. We all doubted his joining of the Alliance. Possibly he was planted by DPP to be spying on the Alliance ndiye adatchera kumwezi nkhanga zidaona. Let him get out of the Alliance and join DPP+UDF. As for us we will be through the COVID19 soon. Nobody knew about the virus to decide whether schools should remain open. It was a risk nobody wanted to take.… Read more »

Nkhutche
Nkhutche
2 years ago

Please stop blaming all criticism and failures on DPP. What do you mean Chisi was a DPP plant? Anything that opposes or critiques the current Alliance direction is DPP or cadet. This attitude towards criticism is the most disheartening element in the Alliance. Please take criticism soberly and learn from it. There a lot of sense in what this guy is saying.

Mulopwana
2 years ago

Eiish!!!!

Cairo
Cairo
2 years ago

You can see how a Professor speaks with fear or favour. He is part of the Alliance but is able to speak what could be good for the country. He has even before that openly said that Chakwera has no clue on how to handle the covid 19 impasse. We have abundance of untapped professionals in the country and yet they are not fully utilised. Akatengedwa ndi maiko ena you start to say bwerani kumudzi mudzatukule dziko, nonsense. Job creation, phwaaaaaa, inclusion of manifestos of other Alliance members, phweeeee.

Bon o bon
2 years ago
Reply to  Cairo

Ati professor mfundo zopepela chonchi, kumabakila strike ya aphunzitsi pa covid money.,…and you say you are a professor. A professor, the whole world countries economies are on their knees due to covid 19 ndiye mukamunene mnzanu kuti where are 1 million jobs. Inu a professor which line of thinking is this?
You are joking your professorship boss, it’s not possible to create 1 million jobs amidst covid or mutakhala inu…..ndinu opusa kwambiri sukulu yanu singapindulire anthu chifukwa ndinu opanda chilungamo

Chigumburi
Chigumburi
2 years ago
Reply to  Cairo

There are always people who voice out like they are intelligent and they rally sound it but they don’t have power to make decision for the mass, hence let alone be allowed to make noise until their last day.

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