Our leaders are intellectually poor – Presidential candidate Ras Chikomeni throws shade at Malawian leaders

Presidential candidate Ras Chikomeni Chirwa says Malawi is facing various challenges because the country’s leaders are intellectually poor.

Chirwa who is Nyabinghi Elder will contest for the presidency in the Tripartite Elections.

In a video clip shared on social media, Chirwa said Malawian leaders are failing to solve the country’s challenges such as blackouts and lack of jobs because they are intellectually poor.

“What our leaders think is buying ammunition, not giving people crops to plant and improve their financial situation,” he said.

He particularly derided the country’s politicians for not legalising the growing of Indian hemp (chamba), a plant which he said has many economic benefits.

“The most expensive crop in Malawi is chamba and Malawi has high quality Indian hemp. I am surprised that government focuses on tobacco yet we do not benefit anything from tobacco farming,” said Chikomeni.

According to Chikomeni, Indian hemp can be used for textile, biofuels as well as making soap, lotion and cooking oil.

He added that if Indian hemp was legalised in Malawi, many people would be able to start businesses and some foreign investors would also come to Malawi to open factories and in the process creating jobs for Malawians.

In Malawi, Indian hemp is illegal but in 2013 Invegrow Limited was established to grow and process industrial hemp. The company is in the process of opening a factory in Lilongwe.