Malawi Government’s announcement of continued closure of schools in Blantyre and Lilongwe has angered parents who have argued that the decision should have been made days ago and not today while students were already on their way to boarding schools.
This morning, Government through Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 and Cholera announced that primary and secondary schools in Blantyre and Lilongwe will not open on January 3 as scheduled and reopening will be delayed for not less than two weeks.
The delayed announcement has angered parents who have argued that their children were already on their way to school.
Writing on Facebook, broadcaster Deus Sandram wondered why the taskforce failed to make an announcement yesterday.
He wrote: “We have just dispatched our children to Boarding Schools. They have left, they are in a bus now. Somebody in her wisdom decides to suspend the opening of schools in Lilongwe and Blantyre this morning. Kodi what weed are we smoking? You mean you could not make a decision yesterday? The task force on chanichani…you are a huge disgrace! Ndipo mukanadziwa m’mene makolo akutukwanira, zinazi bwezi mukumaganiza Kaye (only if you knew how upset parents are)! Some of these decisions are costly abs and one day anthu adzatopa (people will show their anger),” he wrote.
A commenter on the post said: “Exactly and parents will spend more by bringing these kids back from School, the Task force had Friday till yesterday to come up with that Statement.”
Also writing on Facebook, a social media user said: “The President was addressing the public yesterday why did he fail to mention this change? At least people could have been informed earlier than this nonsense. What kind of government is this?”
Independent Schools Association of Malawi (ISAMA) president Wycliff Chimwendo has also expressed similar concerns. Speaking to the local media, Chimwendo said government has made a good decision to suspend the opening of schools but the decision should have been made earlier.
Meanwhile, the government has been urged to declare a state of emergency of the Cholera outbreak so that the outbreak can be managed without drama and chaotic decision making.
In Malawi, Cholera has killed 595 people but about 280 of the deaths occurred in December.
Follow us on Twitter:
