JB extends maize donation to police
Hundreds of police officers have been enlisted among vulnerable households receiving food handouts President Joyce Banda has been distributing over the past months, Weekend Nation has established.
Malawi Government and its development partners such as World Food Programme (WFP) have been donating foodstuffs to poor families to save them from malnutrition and hunger-related deaths.
However, this has raised eyebrows among people who have since questioned Banda’s motive to extend the handouts to security agents who are on government payroll.
Other commentators have even suggested that the President intends to achieve some political aspirations, especially this time when Malawi is preparing for the Tripartite Elections.
While confirming of the police appearing on the list of the President’s benevolence in an interview Thursday, presidential spokesperson, Steven Nhlane, said there is nothing sinister about the donation.
Nhlane disclosed that the donation [to the police] is aimed at cushioning ‘lowly-paid officers’.
“In fact, this is not the first time the President has donated foodstuffs to police officers. She has been doing it since last year when there were no elections,” he said, adding the request for assistance comes from the police themselves.
Political commentator associate professor Mustapha Hussein wondered why only police are benefitting from the scheme leaving out other lowly-paid civil servants such as teachers.
“Although there is no problem with government cushioning lowly-paid civil servants, such a scheme should have applied across the board,” said Hussein.
ma cleaners and guards are the lowest paid koma abale, PP yatha ma plan. kuli anhtu kumiziku alibe chilichonse, inu mukupatsa apolisi chimanga kuti azyang’anire ntchito ya chisankho mokumbikira chimanga akupatsidwachi, zoopsya. kodi chimanga chimenechi chikuchokera kuti? PP yagula chimanga mmisika, mapeto chimanga chatsala chochepa, chakwera mtengo, koma ndale ndi satana. Nanga ndalama zogulira mwazitenga kuti? Lutepo sanapereke za cashgate? A Malawi akugudwa ndi ndalama zawo zomwe, koma Mulungu achite nanu mukuphika mbuzi mu mkaka wa amache.
koma abale, tikugwira ntchito kenako mukutipatsa chimanga…mwadziwa kuti malipiro athu ndi wochepa eti? Nanga aphunzitsi simuwapatsako?
Zautsilutu izi. She should pay the police and all civil servants. Now she wants to tell us that the police are one of the hunger stricken people in Malawi. How did she select the recipients as I know the police are in thousands. Now those police who did not receive why just saying phwii.
Our weak Parliament should do something on this.
Pulezident amenei ndiwopanda nzeru zedi! Bankrupt of sustainable ideas, this one accidental president! Got the job without an interview, or scrutiny! There are so many working poor in our country that it would baffle anyone as to who to start with. Mme. President, have you no shame? Have you no pride regards how people belittle your intelligence, based on your actions (and not based on your gender)? If your actions are based on your advisors’ words, how can they be proud of their advice when depicted in their resumes in future. They will be looking for new jobs after 20th May! They can’t say they weren’t forewarned! Zimene mukucitazi, ife zikutipatsa manyazi; ndipo anzathu sakutimekeza masiku ano ngakhale pang’no; ndipo akutiseka. ( Your actions smack of stupidity, and now as Malawians, we continue to be laughing stock among our foreign friends. You are stressing me out bigtime.)