Malawian second lady in R5.5m medical trip to SA
MARY Chilima, the wife of Malawian Vice-President Saulos Chilima, was expected travel to South Africa for a medical procedure and the vice-president’s office came up with a $311 000 (R5.5 million) budget for the trip, according to a news report by Malawi24.
Malawians have taken to social media to criticise the second lady’s hospital bill which has been pegged at over $250 000 (R4.4m).
Meanwhile, according to media reports yesterday, the secretary to the president and cabinet (SPC) has been blamed for the leak of the memo containing Chilima’s $312 000 medical bill. The memo, dated September 19, was from SPC Colleen Zamba.
Pemphero W Mphande, a Malawian author and social media influencer, raised funds (more than 6 million kwacha) earlier this year for heart patient Rebecca Jali to travel to India for openheart surgery, said: “If funds like these were invested in the health sector, a surgery like this can happen in Malawi and people like Rebecca would not need me to fund-raise for them to fly out. Mary Chilima would not have to spend millions abroad. May Mary get well soon, nonetheless.””
Malawi has a governernment-funded national health care service, free to all Malawians. In 2019, Chilima made headlines after she released a rap song during her husband’s election campaign. |