Mutharika shuns Parliament, to deliver recorded SONA

President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika will not be physically present in the National Assembly to deliver a State of the Nation Address (SONA) this Friday due to Coronavirus which has claimed four lives in the country.

Instead Mutharika will deliver a recorded audio SONA to the National Assembly.

Parliament spokesperson Ian Mwenye confirmed of the development in an interview with the press on Wednesday.

According to Mwenye, the move has been done to control the number of people that will attend the opening of the National Assembly.

“In this regard, the President will deliver the Sona through an audio recording. The Sona will be debated from June 8 to 11 2020,” he said.

In the Business Committee meeting minutes, it was reported that Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development, Joseph Mwanamvekha, will present the 2020/21 national budget on Friday, June 12.

Effort to talk to Mutharika’s press officer Mgeme Kalilani proved futile.