Mutharika appoints 21-member presidential task force on Covid-19: Dr Phuka to co-chair
President Peter Mutharika has appointed a 21-member Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 which is inclusive of stakeholders replacing the Special Cabinet Committee on Covid-19.
The previous committee was headed by Health Minister Jappie Mhango.
According to a statement from the Chief Secretary to the government, Dr. John Phuka from the College of Medicine [CoM] will be a Co-Chairperson alongside Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Jospeh Mwanamvekha.
The appointment is with immediate effect.
The appointment has been made amid expression of dissatisfaction from the general public as the committee was dominated by ruling Democratic Progressive Party [DPP] gurus.
It was alleged that the committee was siphoning money through ‘hefty allowances”.
Below is the full list of members of the special committee.
- Dr. John Phuka from the College of Medicine – Co-Chairperson.
- Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development –Co-Chairperson.
- Minister of Health – Member.
- Minister of Disaster Management Affairs and Public Events – Member.
- Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs –Member.
- Minister of Information, Civic Education and Communications Technology – Member.
- Minister of Local Government and Rural Development – Member.
- Minister of Gender, Child Development and Community Development – Member.
- Minister of Labour, Skills and Innovation – Member.
- Minister of Population Planning and Social Welfare – Member.
- Monsignor Dr. Patrick Thawale, Chairperson, Public Affairs Committee (PAC) – Member.
- Mr. Prince Kapondamgaga, President, Malawi Confederation Chambers of Commerce and Industry (MCCCI) – Member.
- Honorable Lobin Lowe, M.P., Leader of Opposition – Member.
- Senior Chief Lukwa, Chiefs Council – Member.
- Ms. Innocencia Chirombo, Executive Director, Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM) – Member.
- Mr. George Jobe, Executive Director, Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN) – Member.
- Mr. Luther Mambala President, Malawi Congress of Trade Union (MCTU) – Member.
- Rev. Patrick Semphere Chairperson, Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) – Member.
- Mr. Voice Mhone, Executive Director, Council for Non-Governmental Organizations in Malawi (CONGOMA) – Member.
- Mr. Makbul Latif, Asian Business Community Covid-19 Taskforce – Member.
- Dr. Robert Egolet, Country Director, Peking University Global Health Research, Development and Training Bureau – Member.
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Congratulations Mr President for listening to views of malawians when they asked you to consider other stakeholders to be included in the fight. Tikamati utsogoleri ndi umenewu bwana APM Mulungu adzikudalitsani nthawi zonse. Limbani mtima God is with you and he will fight for you Exodus 14:14. Adani no matter how many would be but God if with you surely you will continue ruling the country and no doubt at all. Ena wonsewa tikuwamva tikuwaona koma palibe chanzeru ali nacho bcoz what they want is not to govern the country but rather just to oust you due to jealousy so… Read more »
Keeping this many cabinet ministers (and many pro-clueless Mutharika individuals) means clueless Mutharika still wishes to use the Task Force to campaign for his re-election
Uuuuuh koma anthu inu muli nako kakufa nako mwamva!! The president has respeonded to the complaints by malawians through various soruces and still u say has done nothing good chomwe mukufuna ndi chiyani! Simupha munthu inu? Eeeee a malawi choooooonde uku sikukhala mpang’ono pomwe kalipokalipo basi mwana wa mnzanu atani? Look now when the cabinet committee was announcing the covid19 status u blamed it kuti akungonama sizoona kuti kuli covid19 nanga lero since the task force has been elected the figures are rising mwatani kunena kuti this task force ikunama? E e e e e malawi wanga iwe walodzeka bwanji… Read more »
Agogo tsopano, exerting authority. Final days sadly.
For a people that are generally challenged in managing people to form committees this big and expect results shows how deficient our people-managing skills are!!!! You need small committees to match your lack of skills at managing groups but this coming from a challenged and clueless President I am not surprised!!!
A dokotala ali bwinotu. Handsome indeed.
A committee without youth representative ignores calls for youth inclusion, empowerment and participation in governance structures.
This is good and if this it was done immediately after declaration of national disaster would have been even better. Last I check Voice Mhone was Executive Director for NGO Board and not CONGOMA.
An improvement but with 9 cabinet ministers, still too many DPP members. Two or three ministers in the team would have sufficed.
Thank you mr president for taking heed what Dr saulos klaus chilima advised you some couple of days ago although you initially said that what your vice suggested was nothing but empty. Sometimes as a leader you have to swallow the humble pill and listen to wise people. Bravo mr presdent.
This gogo president will never ever be serious