Alliance expresses dismay at APM’s new vehicle
Political pressure group Transformation Alliance (TA) says it is disappointed that at a time the country is struggling economically and millions are in need of food aid, government has bought a top-of-the-range Lexus LX 570 for President Peter Mutharika.
In a statement released on Friday, the alliance said it found the decision to buy the vehicle, pegged at K100 million ($136 986), “very insensitive” by the Executive regardless of the fact that the State Residences have their own allocation and the President is entitled to such benefits.
The alliance said it also finds it “inhumane” for a Head of State presiding over an economy that is one of the poorest in the world to prefer to live in another world himself.
“The timing is very bad. Maize prices have been increased by the same government from K5 500 to K12 500, a price which obviously most Malawians who live below the poverty line cannot afford.
“We are shocked by the cruelty exhibited by government to the sufferings of people. It is immoral to have double standards, one for the poor and one for the rich, like Mutharika and his cronies,” reads in part the statement signed by TA spokesperson Leonard Chimbanga.
However, presidential press secretary Mgeme Kalilani told our sister newspaper Weekend Nation that there is nothing extraordinary with the procurement of the vehicle as it was approved by Parliament in 2015.
He dismissed allegations that the procurement was insensitive.
Said Kalilani: “Firstly, it has to be understood that it is not the President who purchased the vehicle, but government in this case, State House. The reason the vehicle has been bought is because the fleet of the presidential convoy is very old, as old as 10 years and this was becoming a security threat to the President.
“Additionally, Parliament approved this expenditure which allowed State House to procure eight vehicles, but the President, noting the economic conditions prevailing in the country, only authorised the procurement of one vehicle.”
A total of K5.3 billion was allocated to State House in the 2016/17 National Budget. In its statement, the alliance also condemned the murder of evangelist Shadreck Wame who was found in a pool of blood on Friday, saying that it signifies security lapse in the country, a development which is a major setback to investors and economic development.
