President Peter Mutharika has finally bowed down to pressure to include representatives of various sectors in the special Cabinet Committee on COVID-19 pandemic. 

Concerned parties including the state vice president, Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima said the committee was misrepresented.

In his address to the nation on Tuesday, President Mutharika said the new committee renamed Presidential Task force on coronavirus, will be headed by a cabinet minister and a professor in the public health who will report directly to his office.

“The task-force will comprise of technical committee which will include various professionals and both private and public sectors,” he said.

“There will be a representation of the opposition parties by the leader of opposition Lobin Lowe, faith organizations will be represented by the Public Affairs Committee (PAC), Chief’s council and civil society organizations will also be represented.”

President Mutharika added that government has also introduced an emergency cash transfer program of K35, 000, to serve small scale businesses in major markets of Blantyre, Zomba, Lilongwe and Mzuzu as an extension to the cash transfer facility to support Malawians who depend on the businesses for survival.

He said the initiative will target a minimum of 172,000 households in the areas representing 35% of the urban population.

Mutharika said that his administration will provide cash top-up to the existing beneficiaries of the Mtukula Pakhomo project across the country.

On the issue of lock-down Mutharika said the matter is currently in court but he will make sure that lives of many Malawians are saved and protected at any cost.

Malawi has so far registered 36 cases of coronavirus with 5 recoveries and 3 deaths.