By Draxon Maloya
Member of Parliament for Mzimba North, Yeremia Chihana, ignited a heated debate in Parliament on Friday when he referred to Labour Minister Vitumbiko Mumba as the “minister of pit latrines.”
Chihana’s comment was in reference to Mumba’s recent visits to companies, where he inspected labour conditions, including the availability of toilet facilities.
Chihana argued that the Minister’s focus on pit latrines was misplaced, given the more pressing economic challenges facing Malawians, particularly those in rural areas.
“The Minister of Labour is now minister of pit latrines, closing companies because of toilets when there are serious issues that need to be addressed,” Chihana said.
In a seperate interview, Mumba dismissed Chihana’s remark as “childish,” stating that responding to such jabs would be beneath him.
“That was responded to by the leader of the House Hon. Richard Chimwendo in Parliament, so no need for me to respond. Also in politics at my level, responding to jabs will be childish,” said Mumba.
Leader of the House, Richard Chimwendo, weighed in, describing Chihana’s comment as “unparliamentarily” and demanded a complete withdrawal of the remark.
Chihana, a vocal critic of the government, has been a member of Parliament since 2012 and has been critical of the Chakwera administration, his comments sparking debates bout the government’s priorities in addressing the country’s economic challenges.
