By Robbie Dzoole
In November, 2020 President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera took a three day-off- duty retreat at presidential resort, Chikoko Bay, Mangochi, as announced by Sean Kampondeni who is President spin doctor.
Kampondeni justified President’s three days holiday when people raised eyebrows that why within six months can the whole Head of State and Governmen has audacity to an early holiday when he is not yet settled in office and that the country was still on divided lines following the fierce political battles the country witnessed during campaign.
Kampondeni shot down the query saying the President needs to rest after hectic six months working ‘around the clock’. And he was just 100% spot on from my understanding of labour laws.
But truth be told that his immediate predecessor, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika took years to go on holiday and was never seen anyhow to the public and people were all over asking his whereabouts not knowing he was busy making strategies on how to revamp the economy after Joyce Banda and her Peoples Party looted it beyond repair in the infamous cash gate scandal. Prof Arthur Peter Mutharika and Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, are not of the same age. You can judge who is supposed to go to an early retreat between the two.
President chakwera took holiday while COVID-19 was already spiking and after scientists and doctors gave him the warning shot that his government must not relax in containing the situation but he chose to go.
President Chakwera took another holiday during festive season and COVID-19 pandemic was already on the super surge and nobody bothered to remind him to his two hands on the deck but was seen on military ship in Monkey Bay relaxing with Madame Chakwera one of the fine First Ladies so far Malawi had been honoured to have.
Now all of a sudden, the MCP media team has come out strongly on Deputy Minister of Health, Chrissie Kanyasho kalamula for taking her annual holiday to see her family in Washington DC, USA amidst COVID-19b pandemic.
The irony of this case is that MCP media team was on Facebook two days ago just after the Deputy Minister touched down at Kamuzu International Airport accusing her of abdication her duties and yet the Minister of Health and the entire backroom staff is there working.
This hullabaloo has been created by MCP operatives to divert attention from the DODMA’s failure to account for their ‘sins’ after failing to produce transactions expenditure report to the people of Malawi. Mind you, Disaster ministry is housed in the President Chakwera’s office and I can put it in black and white that the Minister of Disaster in Malawi is the President himself who gave us unaudited report. We know how his office has messed up things. Moneys have been shared amongst MCP party officials in the name of boarder patrols and repatriation exercise for our relatives who reside in South Africa, a thing that never happen.
This is a jaws dropping story coming from MCP media team to ‘assassinate’ UTM cabinet member in an effort to see her dropped from cabinet a thing President Chakwera can implement since he has the prerogative to do so. But it has long-term ramifications as well.
Another point that I can raise is that ministers don’t go on holiday on their own. They seek leave of the President depending on the reasons given to him. This too, the unhinged MCP media and propaganda team have deliberately ignored just to crucify Chrissie . Another reckless strategy that exposés the Head of State by the MCP itself. They can do better.
But remember that MCP and UTM are in Alliance in this government. I may add one important aspect that without chilima and UTM, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika and his DPP party could have won the court backed election last year without much ado. All this, MCP has forgotten within 8 months in office and it’s clear that MCP is on suicide mission if they continue to pursue this path to ‘deal’ with any hardworking officer or minister in their alliance.
It’s clear that MCP has designated UTM as another rubble ‘nyasi’ because they say, UTM is a by-product of DPP. In no time, we shall see MCP propagandists victimising Vice President, Saulos Chilima on a number of baseless accusations just as away to sideline him and start to use someone within their inner circles to be ‘acting’ as Vice President. And the one behind all this madness in MCP is Ezekiel Chong’oma the Head of Media in MCP with the help of his bandits who are on pay per post on Facebook.
In this era of democracy, we are all equal before the law. Chrissie Kalamula’s holiday falls within her constitutional rights and nobody can take that away from her including the notorious MCP media team which is fighting tooth and nail to get rid of her and put their own woman from the central region. Kanyasho has not committed any crime by asking her boss, President Chakwera to go on holiday to see her children and her husband who stay in USA. This is a constitutional country. We must fear the law and not other overzealous mafia ninjas who want everything for themselves because they think are untouchable. We passed that mediocrity long time ago. We are now in a civilised situation where everyone is entitled to their things free without being gagged by gangsters, like MCP media team.
Chrissie is a Deputy Minister in the ministry of Heath which is headed by woman of decorum and dignity, Mrs Chiponda . MCP Media must be told in uncertain terms not to bring unnecessary tension between these two dedicated women.
They have so far worked well since their appointments some seven months ago. And we have seen Chrissie always on the road doing donkey work on behalf of her ministry and the President. She is one of the few deputy ministers in the Chakwera administration who has guts and international exposure to help in various portfolios the President can duly assign her. Yes, she is new on the political landscape, but she managed to beat old guards like Mganda Chiumia in her constituency to win by landslide. No wonder it pleased His Excellency Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera to be a deputy Leader of the House in Parliament.
This is the time for kumbayah within the Chakwera adminstration so that they can lead Malawians in out of this social economic problems that have rocked this country. We are at war with this mobster, covid-19 and we don’t want to waster our precious time and resources on petty politicking and mudslinging. Malawi has deep rooted problems that need all of us to stand up as one
to defeat our enemy which is poverty.
However, this is wake up call to UTM family that at any given opportunity, MCP shall abort you like unwanted pregnancy. Mind you not along ago, the same MCP media team descended on UTM ministers, Kambala and Gaffar as one way of alerting Reverend Chakwera to fire them with no plausible reasons attached. The hatred is real but I know President Chakwera will not succumb to such ill- conceived and poisonous pull down strategies by his senior party officials.
Mr President, if you don’t know why the previous presidents failed to develop this country it is because they started listening to their families and clan as opposed to the real advisors. Take note of that.
I, therefore, see no reason at all for whole MCP bench to descend on Chrissie Kanyasho kalamula for reasons given above. Let the MCP propaganda concentrate on ways of how fight DPP and not their own ‘daughter’ in cabinet.
