Fabiano in hot soup over ‘wait for another Cashgate’ remark

Facebook users have reacted angrily to a story that Malawi24 published on Sunday concerning the remarks by Education Minister Emmanuel Fabiano who told College of Medicine (CoM) students that they have to wait for another public plunder of resources to get their own bus.

Fabiano said this days after Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST) and Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar) received buses bought using stolen public funds under the ‘Cashgate’ scandal.

The minister was speaking in response to a call made by one of CoM’s representatives during the Silver jubilee celebrations that the college needs a bus.

When he took to the podium, while outlining some of the government’s ideas in making sure that the country’s education sector grows, Fabiano said that the institution will surely get its own bus when another plunder of resources happens.

‘’Well, just wait for another cashgate to get your own bus,’’ he was heard saying on the podium.

But commenting on Malawi24’s story, Facebook users condemned the minister for the remarks.

While some were of the view that the minister might have only been joking, others could not hold it and argued that the issue of public plunder of resources is not anything a Minister of his calibre could make such a ‘bad’ joke about.

Damiano Chipeta wrote: ‘’This is total rubbish! How can a public servant entrusted with responsibility of running a high office, be so insensitive to utter such vindictive and incredulous nonsense? Issues of cashgate are quite disheartening and should not be treated satirically.’’

Another commenter Benarm Chibwana said: “A sour joke. There are certain matters so serious such that it is inappropriate to treat them with kid gloves.’’

While Michael Mkandawire wrote: ‘’Really you can say it with pride. Hope you will enjoy this until the end of the world.”

This comes hot on the heels of another hot statement publicly made by the then Minister of Sports, Grace Chiumia who said President Peter Mutharika is Malawi’s life President, a statement she later regretted making.