…Chakwera told to either fix problems or resign
One of Malawi’s Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Leadership Institute for Transparency and Accountability (LITA), has bashed the Lazarus Chakwera administration for “consistently taking Malawians for granted”.
This is contained in LITA’s Monday press statement, seen by this publication which has been signed by its Executive Director Goodwell Logeya.
In the statement, the CSO mentioned the bogus East Bridge deal, the closure of Agricultural Development and Marketing Corporation (Admarc), the stealing of maize from national silos, endless money laundering and racketeering, lack of rule of law as some of the worst maladies of national paranoia.
While faulting President Chakwera for closure of civic space, unnecessary local and international travels, shortage of fuel, scarcity of forex, cheap propaganda on sensitive issues and blaming previous governments on Malawi Congress Party (MCP) failures, LITA says Malawi has never been in a failed state of this nature since multiparty democracy.
“LITA condemns the Chakwera Administration for consistently taking Malawians for granted.
“Since the dawn of multiparty democracy, Malawi has never been in a failed state as this. Characterised by high cost of living, high inflation, instability of the currency, high tax regime, public looting, impunity and stinking corruption, executive arrogance, the Chakwera administration has lost direction.
“As clueless and careless as the administration is, we at LITA, appeal to all Malawians, the churches, opposition political parties (if any), the civil society, the diaspora, the business community, the donor community, etc, to hold this government into account. The honeymoon is over!” reads part of the statement.
LITA says as patient and law-abiding citizens, they have given the Chakwera administration enough time to solve the problems of the country but it seems the Chakwera administration is the problem in itself.
According to the CSO, Malawi institutions are broken to the core, with no hope of recovery in the midst of bleeding economy and the president is complacent when Malawians are suffocating and dying of hunger.
The organization has accused president Chakwera of taming corruption and massaging his boys embroiled in it with kids gloves which it said is a sign of leadership incompetence.
LITA has demanded the president to either take some actions to address the situation or resign.
“First, the President and his minions must stop unnecessary travels within and outside the country; and be in their office to reflect on the problems and come up with pertinent solutions.
“Second, the President must fire the non-performing officials at State House and in parastatals, incompetent cabinet ministers including the Minister of Agriculture for failing Malawians. The Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) top leadership must be overhauled. Malawi has technocrats that can turn around the country.
“Thirdly, Chakwera administration must stop cheap propaganda of blaming the previous governments on the problems that Malawians are facing today. We voted him to solve the problems. If he has no clue, he must step down amicably,” reads another part of the statement.
LITA has also joined calls on the need for prices of maize in the country to go down and make the grain available in all Admarc depots as soon as possible so as to rescue poor Malawians who cannot afford to buy maize on local market.
While accusing Malawi Congress Party zealots and youth militia of intimidating and threatening human rights activists in the country, the organization has also urged President Chakwera to stop the use of coercive and oppressive powers.
The CSO has then appealed to the international donor communities and all human rights bodies to be alert and vigilant on “Malawi government’s tactics meant to strangle our hard-won democracy by threatening and abducting activists; a deliberate ploy to denigrate freedoms of association, assembly and expression.”
