Govt, Opposition play politics at Chirwa’s burial

Malawi Congress Party ( M C P ) presiden t Lazarus Chakwera on Friday hit back at government, saying the country is facing a myriad of problems because the current ministers are not delivering.

 Chakwera was reacting to Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Grace Chiumia who had earlier said Chakwera was clueless because he was criticising government without offering solutions to the country’s problems. During a send off service for the late Robson Chirwa at Katawa CCAP in Mzuzu on Thursday, Chiumia challenged the MCP leader and others to emulate Chirwa’s leadership style by offering solutions to problems, and not just embarking on confrontational politics.

But in his eulogy in Mzimba on Friday, Chakwera said the country would not be in the mess it is now had the current ministers been dedicated as the deceased.

“If today’s Cabinet ministers were to work like him [Chirwa], Malawi would have been developed. In Chirwa, Malawi has lost a true leader who people should have emulated his life,” said Chakwera.

He also stressed that MCP is still strong and functioning properly because of Chirwa’s input.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Francis Kasaila, who represented President Peter Mutharika at the ceremony, apparently refused to join the war of words by focusing his eulogy on the message from the President.

He said Mutharika highly valued Chirwa, adding that the deceased deserved respect from everyone.

“Chirwa was no ordinary man as evidenced by his courage in asking president Hastings Kamuzu Banda to step down and pave the way for democracy,” he said.

 Former vice – president Khumbo Kachali, who spoke after Kasaila, called on the two parties to stop fighting, to allow Chirwa’s soul to rest in peace.

On his part, Livingstonia Synod general secretar y Reverend Levi Nyondo called on politicians to emulate the life of Chirwa.

He cautioned today’s leaders against political prostitution.