Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Member of Parliament for Thyolo Thava Constituency Mary Thom Navicha has accused President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera and his Tonse Alliance administration of “executive arrogance”.
The fearless and workaholic DPP lawmaker Navicha, who is also “leader of opposition” in parliament, was reacting to President Characters recent state of emergency declaration.
She described Chakwera’s the declaration as “long overdue” saying the president, whom she described as “arrogant”, would have declared the nation as state of disaster way back but instead he waited for people to suffer the worst.
“I have been appealing to government to assist people affected by hunger in the country but Chakwera and his administration were was doing nothing. ” said Navicha, adding that Chakwera’s administration does not put people’s interests at heart.
President Chakwera, on Saturday night through a televised addressed, declared a state of disaster in 23 out of the country’s 28 districts, which have been affected by the effects of El Nino.
In all the 23 districts, according to Chakwera, the most urgent need is food because of the number of the huge number of people at risk of facing hunger.
“I have with immediate effect declared a state of disaster in 23 out of the country’s 28 districts using powers conferred upon me by section 37(1) of the Disaster Risk Management Act of 2023,” declared Chakwera
About 600,000 metric of maize valued at K357 billion will be required for this humanitarian response program.
On his part, human rights Michael Kaiyatsa who had earlier called on the government to declare the state of emergency on hunger has bemoaned that the president decision has come rather too late.
However in a press statement issued today one of the country’s human rights activists, Undule Mwakasungula notes that the president’s declaration will go a long way in leveraging both domestic and international support in providing immediate relief and long term resilience for the affected communities.
President Chakwera’s declaration on state of emergency to declare a state of emergency has coincided with his return from neighbouring Zambia which has also declared a state of emergency on hunger situation in that country
Meanwhile, some Malawians have stroked social media expressing dissatisfaction with the continued deteriorating state of affairs in the country saying it is a clear demonstrations of failure on the part of the current administration.
A recent survey by Afrobarometer, a pan-African think tank on governance, revealed that Malawians have lost hope in Chakwera’s administration due to it “clueless leadership” and failure to fulfill campaign promises.