As the President Chakwera keeps holding on to Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda as Minister of Health and Co- Chair of the Presidential Task Force for COVID-19, there is a growing public outcry that the President has grossly failed to exercise impartiality that is expected of him.
Chakwera has already fired co-chair of the task force Dr John Phuka and reportedly interdicted several Principal Secretaries and District Commissioners as one way of getting to the bottom of the Covidgate that has dented chakwera’ s image beyond repair.
However, Chakwera has raised suspicions about his seriousness on the matter by sparing Kandodo Chiponda from any sanction.
“If the President is serious about this issue, by now he should have fired his Minister of Health and even getting her arrested for the gross failure of her duties as minister who is the advisor to the President as stipulated in the Constitution.
“Why has the President found it wise to fire a technocrat, Dr Phuka, whose duty was just to advise the Ministry of Health on technical aspects and not the Minister who is both Chair of the Committee and political appointee? The President has surely shown that he is biased and he doesn’t want to fire his people from the central region, more especially those who are affiliated with Kamuzu Banda. Whatever is happening in this case, the bus stops at Chiponda. It’s she has become untouchable and the President can not fire her on any account which is very unfortunate,” said a political and economic analyst Ceaser Kondowe.
Latest reports indicate that government has lost billions of kwachas on dubious deals for COVID-19.
Another political analyst has weighed in with a call to immediately fire the Minister of Health and allow the Committee to be led by scientists only.
“Our President is lacking cutting edge. He has no teeth to bite his cabinet officials because they are his capital for 2025 bid. It’s normal in politics to fire a minister who has messed up their duties and be replaced.
“But look with Chakwera, he is busy firing and interdiction technocrats and leaving out his Minister whom everyone knows is the centerpiece of this scandal. The President could even fire his Chief Secretary for incompetence and he is the Head of DODMA. Surprisingly the President has chosen a morally corrupt method to blindfold voters when he knows that his Minister and Chief Secretary are the top culprits in this scam. This is a sin before the eyes of God. I thought at State House, we have now a Man of God who shall be guided by Holy Spirit when discharging his duties but to my sharp dismay, he is not, ” said Pastor Noel Maganga who also speaks on governance issues in the country.
