Written by Richard Kayenda
Two members of Parliament for Malawi Congress Party (MCP) have turned down their inclusion into the tour to assess the preparedness of district councils against the Covid 19 pandemic.
The two, Christopher Ashems Shongwe and Halima Daudi, who are also members of the Parlimentary Committee on Health and Media, were among other members of parliament and cabinet ministers from the Special Cabinet Committee on Covid 19 who are touring district councils to assess how prepared the latter are on the fight against the global pandemic.
The two parliamentarians have also described the allowances given to the members of the Committee per day as a waste of public resources which would otherwise be put to a more reasonable use as regards the fight against Covid 19 pandemic.
Meanwhile the Special Cabinet Committee on Corona virus has been heavily criticised by the general public for pocketing unjustified allowances; ranging from K350, 000 for a member of parliament per day to K450, 000 for a cabinet minister per day.
During one of the recent media briefings by the Special Cabinet Committee on the Covid 19, Minister of Health, who is also the Chairperson of the Committee, Jappie Mhango, told journalists that the ministers are not pocket any allowances for doing their own job.