When Mozambique was hit by serious floods, then President Bakili Muluzi dispatched two choppers and our Military to help rescue the people. It was not an issue for Mozambique. Today Tanzanian soldiers and two choppers are on the ground to help, one now irrelevant Member of Parliament Nicholas Dausi says our sovereignty and territorial integrity has been compromised. He was making his remarks in Parliament two days ago.
“It is sad to see foreigners almost everywhere in this country, which is a risky to national security. As a country we have to be vigilant about it. Yes let’s get the gifts but without losing out territorial integrity and national sovereignty we are a state by the way and we must be very careful and conscious,” he said.
However, former Human Rights activist Undule Mwakasungula says Dausi’d remarks are “irresponsible and unreasonable.”
He said:
“The fears by Dausi on compromising our national security over humanitarian support and gesture by our neighboring countries must not be amplified as that will be seen as lack of appreciation from our neighbours on support they have given us towards the effects of Tropical Cyclone Freedy. No question about it!
“Our neighbouring countries have shown great compassion to us and showing mistrust by feeling that we have compromised our security because of their presence is being ungrateful towards the good gesture they have done to us,” he said.
Instead, Mwakasungula said Malawians need to learn lessons from this devastation on how to contain future disasters better than we have done.
“As an MP in Parliament, he would have pushed for more financing to these relevant bodies like the Military so that we have ready machineries on standby in the eventuality of disasters such as the one we have experienced.
“Further it is important that the MP would have pushed for a standalone Ministry for Disaster Preparedness and not as a department like it is currently. With what we have experienced with cyclone we need a full Ministry of Disaster with a full Minister and huge funding,” stated Mwakasungula.
