The Catholic Commission of Justice and Peace-CCJP has challenged Malawians to be conducting an audit on the gains of various foreign trips that are made by the President and other government officials.
The sentiment follows an outburst from the general public following the announcement by the State House of two foreign trips President Lazarus Chakwera has embarked on.
It also comes amid concerns that such foreign trips are just used as a means to go for a site seeing venture by those in authority arguing there is little or no benefits from the same.
Speaking to MIJ online, Boniface Chibwana national coordinator of CCJP said much as some of these trips seem important on paper, it is high time Malawians began asking authorities to provide detailed information on the actual benefits the country yields from numerous foreign trips made by the president and other government officials.
“As a country we need to enhance social accountability, we need to begin asking our leaders that these numerous trips you are undertaking of what benefit are they to this country? It is important to ask these important questions so that the leadership should give right responses, and its incumbent upon the citizenry to ensure the leadership is being accountable to the people, ” observed Chibwana.
According to a State House statement, Chakwera has left the country for Luanda in the Republic of Angola where he is expected to attend the 43rd Session of the Southern Africa Development Community from the 17th to 18th August and will later proceed to South Africa to attend the 15th Session of the Brazil, Russia, India,China and South Africa (BRICS) Plus Outreach Summit from 22rd to 24th August, 2023.