Malawi president fires minister over Covid-19 funds

Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera on Sunday fired Labour Minister Ken Kandodo for diverting $800 worth of Covid-19 funds to pay for a government trip, part of a wider embezzlement scandal. In a televised address to the nation, Chakwera said the minister was named in an audit report as having listed the funds in his allowances for the travel to South Africa. "I have dropped him from my cabinet accordingly. Even though the minister has since returned the money, his usage of the funds means that the money was unavailable for its intended purpose when it was needed most," Chakwera said. "I cannot have in my cabinet any individuals who either spend money budgeted for one thing on something else or do not ask tough questions to ensure that the money they are spending on something was budgeted for that purpose."