Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) Chairperson Zacc Kawalala has asked Malawians especially Civil Servants who are pushing for allowance for COVID-19 pandemic to put the interest on the nation at heart first.

Pastor Kawalala’s remarks follow reports that teachers across the country will down tools on September 7, 2020, the same day schools will re-open, if government does not give them risk allowances.

Writing on his official Facebook page, Kawalala said wondered as to whether those seeking allowances are free from spreading the pandemic to innocent soul they are interacting with.

“Every job has a risk, starting from the house maid, garden boy, minibus driver, and all.
There is need for everyone to be ready to serve the nation and the peoples of Malawi from a patriotic and nationalistic premise.

“In times like these, each one should be ready to go an extra mile for the sake of all of us having a livelihood.

“How clean are our hands when we are demanding risk allowances? Have we also paid risk allowances to our gardener, house keep/maid and all those we employ?

“May there be sanity,” said Kawalala.

He added: “Wouldnt demanding risk allowances be liken to a drive to reap from a calamity? There are supposed to be days of making sacrifices for others other than making a financial kill in the midst of suffering, when many have lost jobs, receiving pay cuts and some companies have shut down. All of whom are financiers of the demanded risk allowances.

“Important in all the debate about Covid-19 should be an understanding that everyone has been affected. The institutions and individuals who pay tax are no longer remitting the same amounts of taxes to government as they did before? Life is not the same, tax revenues are no longer the same.

“We can all work towards having a life and livelihood!!”

Malawi has so far recorded over 5000 cases of Coronavirus with over 160 deaths.