Cabinet committee on Covid-19 in disarray

Malawi Health Equity Network (Mhen) has faulted President Peter Mutharika’s dissolution of the Cabinet, saying this will affect the newly established special Cabinet committee on coronavirus.

In an interview yesterday, Mhen executive director George Jobe said said the appointment of the committee had demonstrated government’s commitment to dealing with the deadly virus.

A number of countries have instituted several measures, including banning public events and external travel to prevent transmission of coronavirus.

On March 7 2020, the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) announced the appointment of the special Cabinet committee, which was chaired by the Minister of Health and Population.

Other members included Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Development, Mnister of Education Science and Technology, Minister of Disaster Management Affairs, Minister of Homeland Security, Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Minister Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development and deputy Minister of Defence.

“The objective of setting up the special Cabinet committee is to assess the impact of Covid-19 and oversee cross government response to the threat posed by Covid-19,” reads the statement signed by Chief Secretary Lloyd Muhara.

But Jobe said the committee was key in resource mobilisation and providing policy direction on how the country should respond to coronavirus.

Presidential press secretary Mgeme Kalirani referred us to Ministry of Health spokesperson Joshua Malango, who claimed that the committee has not been dissolved, arguing its mandate and functions have been taken over by the OPC.

But our source at OPC contradicted Malango, saying the dissolution of the Cabinet means that all Cabinet committees have been dissolved, too.