Malawi’s Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Lingson Kambewa Waidon Belekanyama, has died of Covid-19.
Hon Belekanyama has succumbed to Covid-19 after two weeks of illness at the Kamuzu Central Hospital.
Minister of Information Gospel Kazako has confirmed the death of Belekanyama saying the country has lost a true patriot, a hardworker, a unifying factor, and someone very focused.
Kazako says government will follow Covid-19 procedures in the burial of Belekanyama.
This comes barely a day after another senior government official Ernest Kantcheche also died of Covid-19. Kantcheche was the Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Information at the time of his death.
Apart from Belekanyama, the pandemic also attacked four other cabinet ministers namely Labour Minister Ken Kandodo Banda, Transport Minister Sidik Mia, Mining Minister Rashy Gaffar and Industry Minister Roy Kachale Banda.
That’s not all. It has also attacked First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Madalitso Kazombo.
And addressing Malawians on Sunday from Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe in a special address to the nation, President Dr Lazarus Chakwera said he had gone into 21 days of prayer and fasting seeking divine intervention from God to end the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Rev Chakwera said seeking God’s grace is only paramount way to end the pandemic.
He argued the apparent complacency in adhering to COVID-19 prevention measures particularly during the festive season has eroded the gains already made on the global health pandemic.
The President says this is costing many lives and putting extreme pressure on the health system.
“During the festive season many of us relaxed our vigilance against the virus and now we are paying the price. We are paying the price because many of us are back to our old ways of not wearing masks, many of us are back to our old ways of not maintaining a distance from others, many of us are back to our old ways of not washing our hands regularly.
“We simply cannot afford this virus advance further, we need to stop it in its tracks before it conducts yet another crusade of deaths in our midst,” says the President.
