BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Parliament today turned into a boiling pot of emotions after Mzimba North MP, Yeremiah Chihana, stated that the presence of secretary to President and cabinet, Zangazanga Chikhosi, is overshadowing the vice president Saulos Chilima.
Chilima was today in the august house to take questions pertaining to public sector reforms from the lawmakers.
Chihana said Zangazanga is too powerful and in control of the civil service where Chilima is supposed to implement the public sector reforms.
He said Zangazanga is firing principal secretaries anyhow and Chilima has no control over that.
Chihana also called for the firing of Zangazanga.
Reacting, the first deputy speaker Madalitso Kazombo gave Chihana marching orders.
Before being kicked out of Parliament, Chihana also asked Vice president Saulos Chilima who is also Minister of Economic Planning and Development and Public Sector Reforms “what policy tools are in Malawi Agenda 2063 that contrast with Vision 2020 and, what are the economic drivers for the agenda 2063?”
Chilima said there are several things that make Malawi 2063 different from Vision 2020.
He said Vision 2020 was aimed at poverty reduction while 2063 is aimed at wealth creation.
Chilima added that in agenda 2063, there is innovative financing while Vision 2020 relied mostly on donors.
Chilima also stressed that in Vision 2020 there was no political commitment while in 2063 there is.
The vice president has also called on MPs to familiarize themselves with the Malawi 2063 document so that they become ambassadors in their constituencies and the country.
Meanwhile, Leader of the House in Parliament Richard Chimwendo Banda and Leader of Opposition Kondwani Nankhumwa have condemned the fracas that occurred in Parliament while the Vice president Chilima was in the House to answer questions from MPs.
The two say the behaviour is unacceptable and there is a need for proper guidance on how Parliament should conduct its business when the vice president is in Parliament.
Chimwendo further says, Chihana deserved to be kicked out of Parliament because he disrespected the first deputy speaker Madaliso Kazombo on three occasions.
It is the first time the vice president has made himself available for questions in Parliament.
