Leader of Opposition, Kondwani Nankhumwa, has taken President Lazarus Chakwera to task, accusing him of being detached from events happening in the country and sleeping loudly.

Nankhumwa has described the situation as very unfortunate for Malawi.

In a strongly worded statement, Nankhumwa has expressed suspicion that the President or someone else may have changed the terms of reference for an inquiry into the arrest of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) boss, Martha Chizuma, leaving out the important aspect of who ordered her arrest.

He said, “Having digested these issues, it is my conclusion that President Chakwera and his key ministers, Inspector General of Police and most senior security officers knew of Ms. Chizuma’s arrest beforehand.”

Nankhumwa also questioned Chakwera’s lean cabinet, wondering why the president did not make a decision on the matter instead of making promises.

He said, “It also feeds into rumours that President Chakwera is not his own man and that he answers to a very powerful clique of MCP ministers who call the shots and control him and whom he fears to fire.”

The opposition leader has also questioned Chakwera’s reluctance to declare the Cholera outbreak a National Disaster when the disease continues to claim more lives each passing day.

He said, “We do not treat Cholera with window dressing press conferences by a group of cabinet ministers in the comfort of government boardrooms at City Center. Such conferences do not do the nation any good. We need serious measures to unlock more funds and medical supplies towards the outbreak.”

Information Minister, Gospel Kazako, did not respond when asked for his reaction to Nankhumwa’s statements.

However, the Tonse administration has mostly faulted Nankhumwa’s opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for lacking moral ground on matters of good governance and democracy.