Malawi government cabinet Ministers Jappie Mhango and Mark Botomani lied to the people of Malawi that top government officials including Cabinet Ministers do not get allowances when on duty for COVID-19 activities.
When Vice President Saulos Chilima raised the issue, the government machinery went berserk attacking the second in command that that was an unfounded allegation.
However, recent media reports have published with evidence that the Ministers are getting a whopping K450,000 for single day’s work disguised as risk allowance.
Prior to the revelation, first to deny was Mhango, the Minister of Health, who said there was no way Ministers would be paid allowances for doing their work while Botomani issued a long statement denying the issue.
“There is no budget line for allowances in the funding for corona virus mitigating measures. The public will be pleased to know that Ministers and their technical officers are sacrificing a lot in the fight against the corona virus.
In this regard they do not pocket any allowances despite even working at odd hours,” wrote Botomani.
He went further to lie that “the Government further appreciates the media for their understanding as even journalists that attend the COVID 19 press conferences do not even get any allowances.
These measures are meant to ensure that resources made available in curbing COVID 19 are channeled directly to the actual intervention measures.”
But in a development that further worsens the trust deficit between the DPP government and Malawians, it has now transpired that the Ministers are actually pocketing fat allowances.
The revelation has sparked public rage with Malawians wondering why those on the front line to stage a strike for them to have allowances given yet the Ministers just like that get, in a day, what is a dream Malawian monthly salary.
The Nation newspaper has published chronicles of how a Dyson Nkhoma from the Ministry of Disaster, whose Minister is former Vice President Herbert Chimulirenji, was asking for details of payment for the Ministers and those to accompany the Ministers on a tour of health centres.
