I am not so much concerned with the nature of the document, that it is a leaked copy, no. I am more concerned with the substance therein. We’ll later talk about the professionalism of Colleen Zamba, Secretary to the Office of the Malawi President and Cabinet.
I am of the view that if the law entitles the Malawi Vice Predident’s wife to medical assistance at Malawi Government’s expense in the region of the monies quoted therein, there should be no problem with her getting that sort of assistance. It’s an ENTITLEMENT. Its hers. It belongs to her. Even if it were a billion kwacha, I would still be cool with it. Like I said, it’s her entitlement.
My problem would be, or currently lies in the fact that this sort of entitlement is only available to people like her: only a select few, or those connected to the select few. Why not make that sort of goody stuff available to everyone? What, it will cripple the Economy?
Chilima to spend K312 million of public funds on wife's medical trip to South Africa.
Full story at: https://t.co/okI85kl0D8 pic.twitter.com/V6jBjZ4lNQ
— Malawi24 (@Malawi24) September 20, 2022
Why have we accepted this obscene notion that somehow, by virtue of their positions, which they hold on sustained trust from us by the way, they are entitled to a better life than the rest of us. That by virtue of us not being them, we deserve what comes, or does not come our way. That we should even be grateful for our mere existence because, well it could have been worse. That it is not their problem that they are “lucky” and we are not. That those ones just deserve better than anyone else and we should be fine or content with that. That if the worse comes to worst, those ones deserve to live and you not to? Why do we seem to have accepted this sort of thing? Worse still, why do our leaders, largely in conduct and by their word of mouth, seem to suggest that since this is the way things are, and have been for some time, we should just accept that this is way things are, and ought to be?
In dollar terms, we are looking at an amount North of $300 thousand! More than a quarter million dollars! No small change in any part of the world. But that is not my point. This is my point: can you, the guy reading this post, get medical assistance on Malawi Government’s tab to the tune of $250, 000 without a hassle, just like that? If no, why not? Don’t you deserve the best in terms of medical assistance? Don’t you deserve rubudt health? Why not you? Again, I ask. Are you less human than them? ‘Amenewa ndi akulu akulu athu’ you say. So whay. What is it exactly that makes you unworthy of state of the art treatment facilities to manage your cancerous tumor or your failing kidneys but them worth of everything…at the expense of your taxes, or vote. What is it?
Why are we not working on a functional, home-grown healthcare system available to all, at any time?
*The views presented in this feature are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Malawi 24
Mary Chilima’s medical trip to South Africa pegged at K312 million
