MP Lipipa courts party leaders to put political differences aside in fight against COVID-19

By Duncan Mlanjira

Following the announcement made by President Peter Mutharika on Thursday that Malawi has registered three cases of Coronavirus as recorded in Lilongwe, Member of Parliament for Blantyre City South Constituency, Noel Lipipa has intensified calls to all political party leaders to put their differences aside and join hands in the fight against Coronavirus (COVID-19).

In a special address to the nation, President Mutharika announced that the three patients are a Malawian of Asian origin — who travelled to India — her relation and their domestic maid.

This is the country’s first confirmed cases of the virus, which had been declared as a pandemic by World Health Organisation (WHO).

Even though the political fever is focused on the forthcoming fresh presidential election, Lipipa told journalists that there is a need for Malawians not to prioritize political differences but to fight the common enemy — COVID-19.

“We must all join hands and take necessary measures to ensure the pandemic doesn’t affect our country,” he said. “In joining hands as citizens of Malawi, we will together overcome this problem.

“Malawian political leaders have already shown that they can work together when their interests align with each other as evidenced by the DPP/UDF and UTM/MCP respective alliances.

“It is now time for all political party leaders to put their political differences aside so as to work together on how best Malawi can end the pandemic.”

Lipipa went on to ask the leaders of the UTM/MCP alliance to borrow a leaf from Julius Malema (leader of the EFF in South Africa, opposition to the governing party) as he, together with their President Cyril Ramaphosa of the ANC join hands in the fight against Coronavirus.

In his address, President Mutharika — while urging Malawians to remain calm — said the family has been quarantined for treatment and that medical officials will trace people who they have been in contact with in order to test them.

The President also said he will announce new strict measures to prevent the virus from spreading.

Meanwhile, Chief Secretary to the Government, Lloyd Muhara has issued a statement that even through there are strict presidential measures that the public must seriously adhere to, the Government must continue to provide essential services.

Addressing all Government controlling officers and heads of departments to implement that all the three gates into the Capital Hill should be manned by security personnel to ensure that everyone coming in and out should be washing hands and or given sanitizers.

“This will be done complementing those already provided for in the offices and this procedure is therefore compulsory,” says Muhara.

“Each Ministry, Department or Agency should divide its staff into three teams, who will be working in shifts, in order to reduce the number of officers reporting for duties in a day.”

Muhara adds that non-essential services should be scaled down but each Ministry, Department or Agency should ensure that skeleton staff is available so that the service is not disrupted completely.

He also instructs that the Capital Hill should liaise with the Ministry of Health to disinfect their buildings and that each member of staff must be provided with face masks, sanitizers and where possible be given a bottle of hand sanitizer.

“Only essential meetings should be held in our conference rooms but ensure that social distance is greatly observed,” Muhara said.

COVID-19 threat has so far killed over 36,000 people and infected over 750,000 others worldwide.

On the other hand, Africa has since confirmed over 4,600 cases and over 140 deaths in 46 of the continent’s 54 countries.