SKC tells Mutharika to relocate to Lilongwe: Lockdown Capital Hill for now

State Vice President Saulos Chilima, who is also UTM president, has told  Malawi government to completely lockdown Capital Hill, the seat of government in Lilongwe,  in view of the coronavirus outbreak and advised President Mutharika to relocate to the capital from Blantyre to inspire authorities  “in this time of despair”.

Chilima said this at a televised conference on Wednesday in Lilongwe.

He said the State should only leave essential workers to avoid public finances plunder.

“Apart from the coronavirus threat, leaving Capital Hill open like that in such circumstances can breed theft and plunder of public resources,” he said.

Chilima, who had put on face mask during part of his address, asked Mutharika to immediately return to the Capital City and operate from Kamuzu Palace from Blantyre at hilltop Sanjika Palace.

He said it is expensive for Mutharika to continue operating from Blantyre because government is incurring a lot of costs such as hotel bills for government officials and his staff.

“It is expensive for him to be in Blantyre. If government officials want to see him, they have to go to Blantyre which is expensive,” he said.

Chilima addressed a news conference while standing for over an hour while many authorities in Malawi hold their pressers while enjoying the comfort of their chairs.

Minister of Health Jappie Mhango on Tuesday announced the country’s first death from Covid-19.  The patient, a 51-year-old Malawian woman of Asian origin who resided in Blantyre, had recently returned from UK, where it is believed she contracted the virus.

The number of coronavirus cases now stands at eight, and medical experts say they are following up with about 100 people who had contact with the patients.

President Peter Mutharika declared Covid-19 a national disaster last month before the country even registered its first case.

Covid-19 has rapidly spread from China to European countries and the United States of America, and global cases have exceeded 1.4 million. The number of deaths, however, is still rising.

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