By Kondwani Magombo
Mangochi, Mana: Presidential Task Force Team that visited Mangochi District Council and Municipality to appreciate Covid-19 interventions on Wednesday hailed the two Councils for their concerted efforts in the fight against Covid-19.
The team comprising Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Agnes Nyalonje, Minister of Labour, Ken Kandodo, and leader of opposition, Kondwani Nankhumwa, visited DMI University and Mangochi Central Market before convening with the two councils for a briefing.
Nyalonje said there were fears at national level that the pandemic could escalate in the districts of Mangochi and Mzimba due to high number of people flocking to and from South Africa in the two districts.
She noted that the total number of 156 Covid-19 cases and two deaths in Mangochi was indicative of a good battle given the risk factor the district has.
“We are very impressed and this clearly shows that you’ve all worked together towards one goal and we would like to appeal to you not to relent because the war is not over yet,” Nyalonje added.
The Leader of Opposition expressed satisfaction but he called upon the two councils to keep fighting and not to relax.
“Let’s not be complacent; if we don’t keep ourselves on guard we may experience a second wave of Covid-19 and that’s not what we want,” Nankhumwa pointed out.
Kandodo hailed the Mangochi District Health Office (DHO), Mangochi District and Municipal Councils for “labouring tirelessly” and urged all sectors to ensure that prevention begins right from workplaces and homes before going out there.
Mangochi District Council Chairperson, Allan Mmadi, hailed Mangochi DHO, specifically the Director of Health and Social Services, Dr. Henry Chibowa, District Medical Officer Dr. Chimwemwe Chithambo, and Chief Preventive Health Officer, Dr. Kondwani Mamba, for leading a well-coordinated fight against the pandemic.
Mangochi has so far conducted 536 Covid-19 tests with 156 positives from which 151 recoveries have been recorded, 2 deaths registered, and 3 cases are still active, according to Dr. Chithambo.
Mid-September a team of councilors from Blantyre City Council visited Mangochi on a learning visit and they described the district and the municipal council’s containment of the pandemic as ‘impressive’ given the links that Mangochi and South Africa has
