JB’s trips an insult to Malawians—Kapito

Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama) executive director John Kapito has described as an insult President Joyce Banda’s continued foreign trips despite donors withholding budgetary support because of the Capital Hill cashgate saga.

Minister of Finance Maxwell Mkwezalamba announced a ban on foreign and local travels by government officials, including the President, as an austerity measure.

But Banda on Monday travelled to South Africa to attend a memorial of Nelson Mandela today and, according to State House, after which she will fly to Kenya to attend that country’s 50 years of independence on December 12. From Kenya, the President will fly back home and on December 15, she will go back to South Africa for Mandela’s burial at Qunu.

However, Kapito in an interview on Monday said the President has “cravings for globe-trotting.”

“We thought she would go for the memorial then come back and then go again on the day of burial and not travel to and fro, we do not need this as a country, especially when there are no drugs in hospitals, the economy is [in] bad state. In fact, she is the one who is driving the economy to the ditch with her cravings for travels,” he said.

But State House press secretary Steven Nhlane justified the President’s trips.

“It is important for President Joyce Banda to travel to South Africa to attend both the memorial and burial of former president, Nelson Mandela in her capacity as head of Sadc.

” She is Head of State but also the Sadc chairperson. She can’t be absent from any of these functions. Mandela played a key role as a unifying force for the Sadc region and on regional integration in general,” he said.

Nhlane said the country has to strengthen diplomatic and trade relations with countries such as South Africa.

“We have declared three days of mourning and how do we show this if not by being with the South Africans during the funeral activities,” he said.

But Kapito said it is high time the President started delegating on some trips.

“These extravagant travels are unjustified and she knows it. She needs to put Malawians first. The fact that she is current head of Sadc, does not mean she needs to be all over the place. She can delegate some of these trips,” he said.