Article By: James Odziwa
Dedza East Member of Parliament (MP) Juliana Lunguzi (Malawi Congress Party-MCP) on Friday did not take direct critism from the Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Atupele Muluzi sitting down, accusing him of embarking on a campaign to demonize and belittle her.
Juliana Lunguzi was reacting to Atupele Muluzi who had singled her out for criticizing government over the Decent and Affordable Housing Subsidy Programme, popularly known as Cement and Malata (iron sheets) subsidy.
The Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Atupele Muluzi took offense to remarks made last Thursday by Dedza East Member of Parliament (MP) Juliana Lunguzi when she raised her concerns about the economic cost and benefits of the affordable Housing Subsidy Programme initiative, the brainchild of the Peter Mutharika administration.
Minister Muluzi defended the programme strongly and during a Parliament break, he granted media interviews in which he allegedly singled out Juliana Lunguzi as the only voice opposing the programme in the House.
Rising on a point of order immediately after the House reconvened on Friday morning, Dedza East member of Parliament (MP) Juliana Lunguzi who happens to be from the opposition party MCP, said she was dismayed that the minister had taken the issue personally.
She said: “Mr Speaker Sir, the Honourable minister is busy going around in the media telling people that all 192 MPs are supportive of the cement subsidy except Dedza East. It is unacceptable and misleading.”
Lunguzi said government was seeking to turn the constituents of Dedza East against their MP by insinuating that the MP does not care about their housing woes.
According to people that were in Parliament when the MP was making the remarks, Minister Muluzi, who was in the House at the time, ignored the MP on the matter, but several MCP MPs supported Lunguzi.
Speaker of Parliament Richard Msowoya, who is also MCP vice-president, curtailed debate to other serious matters.
Juliana Lunguzi has been a thorn on the backside of the Mutharika administration since becoming Chair-Parliamentary Committee on Health. Demanding more budgetary support for healthcare in the country.
She once told the Maravi Post that one of her motivations for running for the office of a member of parliament for Dedza East was the huge potential to make a difference for her people.
