State House dismiss Malawi VP Chilima address as ‘emptiness almost’
State House has hit back at the country’s estranged Vice-President Saulos Chilima over his remarks that there is public mistrust on the government on coronavirus matters, saying the televised address by the second-in-command was nothing, literally nothing worthy his stature but just emptiness almost.
In his national address Sunday night, Chilima faulted the lack of public trust in the government communication system, saying it could worsen the situation as it would lead to people lowering their guard and ignoring the basic instructions for preventing the contraction of the virus.
But presidential press secretary Mgeme Kalilani said the remarks by Chilima, who is also the UTM leader, are not sincere.
“He just wants to score a political mileage out of a very unfortunate situation,” said Kalilani.
Chilima also called on the inclusion of opposition leaders in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, Kalilani said Chilima and other opposition leaders are telling their followers to disregard preventive messages.
Recently, a Malawi Congress Party (MCP) MP Ulemu Msungama allegedly organised party supporters at Kaliyeka in Lilongwe to ambush coronavirus health workers who wanted to go to the area to trace contacts of a person who had tested positive for the virus.
Two other MCP members of parliament, Esther Kathumba and Monica Chang’anamuno obtained a court order to stop the government from implementing a lockdown.
In the televised address, Chilima also observed that the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed “the shameful condition of the country’s healthcare infrastructure”, saying hospitals are in dilapidated state.
But he expressed optimism that the crisis will offer Malawians an opportunity to invest in improving the healthcare system to be prepared to handle crises of this nature.
He also applauded healthcare workers for the sacrifices they are making to serve the country, describing the cadres as “the nation’s finest”.
Malawi has so far recorded 36 cases of Covid-19 with three deaths and four recoveries.
Meanwhile, High Court in Lilongwe will this Wednesday deliver a judgment in a case involving the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) which obtained an order stopping government from implementing a three-week long lockdown in attempt to stop the spread of Covid-19.
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Can’t be “Emptiness, Almost” if APM has heed Chilima’s address advice and revamped Covid 19 Committee. As far as most people are concerned, Chilima’s address is producing results.
kkkk a Mgeme.. pamene inu mukuti the speech by Chilima was empty a President athu a Mutharika amumvera Chilima ndikuyika a opposition mu Covid-19 committe. Kodi vutu lanu maka maka ndi chani a Mgeme??? Musamatitukwanitsire President please!!!!
Excuse me Mgeme. I listened to Chilima’s address and at no time did he give me the impression he was addressing government. Rather, my understanding was that he was addressing the Nation and such being the case, it is up to Malawians who he was targeting to comment and not APM through his chatterbox Mgeme unless, ofcource he is referring to APM as just another ordinary Malawian.
Chilima ndi munthu womvesa chisoni Kwambiri. Ndi munthu woyipa…. Ndale… With corona…
kukanika kucomerezstu uki
what i saw in his speech ndi campaign NOT fundo
I myself I don’t trust your DPP leaders.Chilima akunena zoona.Vuto ndi inuyo a DPP.Do not blame others.If you included other people in the coronavirus committee,we could see transparent on what you are doing.Do not force people to trust you.Too much corruption and bribes in your blood.You told us that your have cut your salaries only to increase in allowances very clever move.That’s why I said, politics is science needs to think, kuwayika anthu pa pause ndikuwabera Mbali Ina.Chimodzimodzi telling Malawians Kut palibe atabere chisanhko,then inuyo a DPP mukukabera.Zili ndimalire zimenezi,am just waiting for what God has prepared for Malawians.
Sometime it is better to just keep quite than respond angrily every time the VP speaks. You are just proving his point that you are failing to co-opt others into the national fight against this pandemic, and as a result the people are viewing government acts with the usual suspicion they have for anything DPP.
Whats the problem with including the “opposition” in the planning? You don’t want to share the allowances perhaps? How fickle.
By the way, where is Nero? Tell him to stop fiddling, Rome is burning!! Assuming he is still responsive.
Even Dausi is better than this Mgeme. How did he find his way to the palace? SKC is far ahead in thinking than this Mgeme thing. Learn to appreciate good criticism.
Chilima is a child. Useless
Goliath was killed David who was very young, without Chilima corruption of DPP was not going to be exposed, without Chilima Malawians couldn’t see election nullified, So far 80 Billion Malawi Kwacha is missing under DPP leadership for the past 5 years while we don’t have learning facilities like secondary schools, Public Libraries, no drugs in hospitals check out our rural areas how our people lives
Its a pity ozayankha milandu kukhala Mgeme ma bwana ake atabwerera ku USA
akutsutsa bwanji womwalirayo?
What else can you say agalu inu.
Why am I not surprised? The guy is paid to spew whatever rubbish he thinks is reasoning. Between Chilima and your ministers, who is undermining Covid-19 preventive measures? While Jappie and his Covid-19 taskforce is gallivanting up and down the country in pursuit of hefty allowances, the same taskforce is telling people to stay at home. Is this taskforce immune to Covid-19? Mr Kailirani, think if at all there is any brain left in you. You are supposed to be a civil servant, a technocrat, not a party stooge that you have become. People should distinguish you from the Jeff wa jeffrey’s of this world. The expectation is that where the Jeff wa Jeffreys go wrong, you should be able to correct them but alas, this is asking too much from shallow minded people. The folly of boot licking is that you throw away your reasoning to the wind.
It baffles me that a sane government would allow its ministers to be moving up and down when it has closed schools, closed entertainment places, encouraged its citizens to work from home, encourage the use of online platforms and electronic payments. What is it that these ministers are going to do that cannot be done by locals? I would understand if it were medical personnel going up and down the country testing and treating people.
Cilima please don’t address the nation when you are drunk or smoked weed. Mcp is making fool out of you. Kodi kulibe anzeru ku UTM. Advise this boy. He should know that he will never make it to the Palace. Getting 4Mps should make all the UTM supporters should have known by now that their leader is not popular. Ma supporters a UTM i munapitadi ku Sukulu osaona kuti game yakudutsani.?
Even if there was to be Cilima and a frog on the ballot only, I wound rather vote for a frog than Chilima. Where is Kalindo the actor? Splashing tomato soup or ketchup on his body for us to think that he was attacked by thugs. Manganya has shrunk in his underwear after being fooled by Cilima. Politics is not for babies.
And he is not even worthy to do that. He is just a useless object called VP. He is a white horse. A monumental VP trying to seek sympathy.
Chilima, surely there is something more productive you can do than running your mouth like a 4 year old, we are tired. Rather than asking what you can do to help Malawi during this epedemic you are busy criticizing as usual. Grow up, you are already showing what a Chilima presidency would look like, all talk but no substance.
Kalirani watch ur tongue
These are your last days. You have to watch what you say as it will follow you into the colds.
On the other hand chilima is a good entertainer in these trying times. Once in while it is calming to have our VP have a presser he talks a lot about nothing. U know falling down from grace can be mentally draining. Kid used to fly so high now not so high He is almost touching the ground, unbelievable, to the point he is almost begging chakwera for the runningmate post. And the more chakwera keeps quite on the issue, the more our beloved VP loses his marbles
The good thing is that most comments on this page are a reflection of which political side people belong to
I saw a lot of sense in what Chilima said. I can’t imagine any sane person dismissing it as hogwash. Fools are headstrong and do what they like; wise people take advice (Proverbs 12:15)
It is better to make an empty statement or speech than none. We have a new President who was not even on the ballot in the name of Mngeme Kalirani. Who is Mngeme Jalirani after all? He is supposed to tell his grandfather to come out & hive the people the speech which will be full of facts. Whrre is he???? People want to hear from the Acting President
There was “fighting” between police and prisoner guards and the Vice President ask for investigation to find source of the problems
The Vice President praised the health personnels
He asked the government to provide ppe to health personnels
He also talked about the states of health care
Lockdown
The list is long!!!!
Mr Kalilani is this emptiness? I think your boss has a problem!! !!! No wonder he sent policemen to chase churchgoers on Sunday and Monday he is apologising
Mr mwapasa how far are you with those people who destroyed mec and .,.,,,,
A parrot or puppet speaks senseless rhetoric for state house Dpp thugs. VP exceptional speech is what we needed to hear in the light of fake news. The sad part there’s no robust approach to Covid-19 from the health minister who is clueless about health systems & policy.
This boy’s head is Very empty, Full of nyunsansi! Good public relation requires you to acknowledge what you really thinks are gap and seek ways of addressing them. Don’t think everything that comes from those opposing views are useless as you describe them. Some points are good if taken objectively. In fact learn how SKC communicate to his audience and do the same with HE. Daily kumangomuchitsa manyazi munthu wamkulu because of your nyunsansi.