President Lazarus Chakwera says motorists should not be stopped for hours to clear way for him whenever he is travelling.
Speaking when he opened Sogecoa Golden Peacock Hotel in Blantyre on Friday morning, the president said the disruption of traffic whenever he travels is not acceptable and not helpful to the tourism industry.
He said when he travelled from Lilongwe to Blantyre, motorists were hindered from moving for the entire stretch of over 300 kilometres.
“Being president does not mean the entire country has to be brought to a standstill. There has to be a better way of managing my transit across the country without disrupting the movements of Malawians and tourists for four hours,” said Chakwera.
He then ordered the Minister of Homeland Security Richard Chimwendo Banda and the Inspector General of Police to address the anomaly.
According to Chakwera, motorists anywhere within the country should not wait for more than 15 minutes when he is travelling, just as it is done in Lilongwe.
Chakwera noted that motorists are stopped for the president’s own security but he argued that Malawi is a peaceful and free country.
“We cannot be operating as though we are in a war zone,” said Chakwera.
