Former Malawi President and Opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader Peter Mutharika has mocked the incumbent Lazarus Chakwera saying the nation lacks a leader who can govern and meet people’s needs.
Mutharika told the news conference on Friday, November 17, 2023 at his Page House in Mangochi that “Its s a pity that Malawi has a President but has no leader”.
He observes that Chakwera says has abdicated his duty and Malawi is just moving without a leader.
Mutharika however blames Chakwera for travelling across the world at a time Malawians are suffering.
Mutharika says the government has failed in improving the lives of Malawians.
He also criticised Chakwera Tonse Alliance government for not prioritizing procurement of essential commodities in favour of what he called trivial matters.
Mutharika says everytime Malawi faces a crisis, Chakwera travels abroad instead of offering a solution to the crisis.
He cited last week when government devalued the Kwacha when Chakwera was away.
He further described this year’s AIP as a complete mess as some villages are missing on the beneficiaries list.
He has challenged Chakwera to man up and recover the country’s economy.
Mutharika says Chakwera must show Malawians how much money the government is pumping into the financial sector to the resuscitate the economy.
The former Malawi leader says kwacha has been devalued by 132% and inflation is at 100% since Chakwera took over power in 2020.
“Inflation is the highest now in the world. When kwacha was being devalued Chakwera sneaked out of the country a clear sign that he doesn’t care for the suffering Malawians,” Mutharika chides Chakwera.
Chakwera has made 43rd foreign trips 42 in three years.
Mutharika also accused Chakwera for lying to the nation that DPP was misreporting data to IMF that is a total nonsense. When we left government kwacha was at MK732 against US dollar.
The DPP leader added that the measures he announced was too little.
Mutharika therefore urged Chakwera to do the following following 44% MalawiKwachadevaluation:
1.Fund universities so that no child must be dropped from school
- Chakwera must subsidise Fertilizer so that more Malawians can afford to buy fertilizer
3.Chakwera must reduce fuel prices
4.Chakwera must fire his relatives that are just their to steal.
5.Chakwera must reduce the prices of Maize to MK25,000 a bag so that everyone can manage to buy.
6.Chakwera must fund NEEF so that women and youth can get loans to start businesses.
7.Chakwera must work for Malawians not his family.
In closing his speech visibly angry Mutharika urges the citizenry to provide their own judgement about the Chakwera led administration.
“Malawians are poor but let me remind President Chakwera that they are not stupid, “says Mutharika.
Mutharika therefore assured Malawians that DPP is ready to govern despite internal party fights arguing that “wrangles are strengthening DPP”.