LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-President Lazarus Chakwera Tonse government is insensitive with lives of Malawians for self interests than of the nation.
This comes as thousands of Malawians are homeless due to Tropical Cyclone Freddy impact, Chakwera Tonse administration has allocated MK1 billion to State House lawn.
Its also coming while the same government is asking for contributions towards Cyclone Freddy response to survivors.
In the just passed 2023-2024’s MK3.78 trillion National Budget, K24 billion has been allocated to state residences. MK5 billion has been increased from the 2022-23 national budget.
In the national budget, the allocation for State Residences including MK1.1 billion for landscaping and K60 million for agricultural inputs.
Last year, millions of kwachas were also allocated to the lawns and the funds were used to establish flower gardens around state residences and to purchase equipment.
Minister of Finance Sosten Gwengwe has told the local media that the MK1.1 billion caters for land improvements at state residences and wages for those employed to manage lawns and flowers.
Gwengwe justified the expense saying lawns at state residences “must be befitting to the first citizen.”
Apart from the MK1 billion for lawns, MK3 billion has also been allocated to renovation of State House in Lilongwe and Sanjika Palace in Blantyre.
“Sanjika Palace has pipes problem that require immediate plumbing services. Kamuzu Palace (State House) also needs rehabilitation. The lifts there are broken and require fixing,” Gwengwe told Parliament.
The allocation comes months after State House in Lilongwe also underwent renovation in 2021.
While Government continues to allocate billions to the president’s residences, over 500,000 Malawians are homeless in the Southern Region after their houses were destroyed by floods induced by Cyclone Freddy.
The Lazarus Chakwera administration has provided MK1.6 billion in response to Cyclone Freddy and has been begging for financial assistance from well-wishers to support the Cyclone Freddy survivors
Malawians on social media have accused Chakwera’s Tonse government for being insensitive with lives of people over the allocation to state residences.
“That one billion kwacha could have been used to construct 588 low income houses like the one built by kondwani kachamba for Cyclone Freddy victims, but alas the government has decided to use it for kutchetchela ndi kuzalira maluwa ku nyumba ya a president kwinako zikulowa mmatumba mwa anthu (landscaping at State House while some of the money is stolen by officials). We joke too much as a country,” one person wrote on social media.
Another person said: “And we want donors to shoulder the cyclone victims reallocation when we can spend so much in useless things?
“Malawians are tired and sick over Chakwera being insensitive with people’s lives. When will Chakwera starting doing right things? quarreled another person.
Chakwera’s Tonse administration has been matured with corruption, nepotism, high cost of living, high inflation, shortage of fuel, forex three years in power.
