With 704 recorded deaths and over 21000 confirmed Cholera cases in Malawi, a local governance institution, Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives-CDEDI has asked President Lazarus Chakwera to declare the outbreak a national disaster now before things completely get out of hand.
CDEDI Executive, Sylvester Namiwa further wants the government to call for international support to contain the disease, currently claiming about 20 people almost every day.
“Chakwera’s administration has miserably failed to contain the Cholera outbreak in Malawi. And the call for local support is too little too late,” says Namiwa.
A week ago, Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Kondwani Nankhumwa made a similar appeal but Information Minister, Gospel Kazako said President Chakwera has the absolute legal authority to do that.
“We have one State President in this country and he is the one that has powers to decide and nobody else despite the level of power appetite they may have. He (President Chakwera) makes decision,” Kazako argued.
On Monday, Chakwera’s Taskforce for Covid-19 and Malaria came out begging for financial support, medical supplies and equipment to help manage the Cholera outbreak that is fast overwhelming the country’s health care system.
As of Sunday, 860 people were admitted to various treatment units across the country.
