Man up and speak! Pressure mounts on Mutharika over fuel and electricity crises

Former ally Atupele leads the charge as HRDC finds the voice it buried under Chakwera

The honeymoon is over. Barely six months after Malawians returned Peter Mutharika to State House last September, pressure from opposition and activists has landed on President Peter Mutharika like a ton of bricks over the fuel and electricity crises gripping Malawi.

Leading the charge is Mutharika’s former ally and running mate, United Democratic Front’s (UDF) Atupele Muluzi, who has demanded that the President “man up” by coming out of hiding to face the nation with answers to the crises currently gripping Malawi.

Muluzi called on the president to address Malawians himself instead of sending what he described as APM’s minions to do the hard lifting while the president keeps his head deep in the sand.

“The President must address the nation directly on the fuel and foreign exchange crisis, providing a clear, honest and detailed account of the current state of national reserves, the emergency measures being taken, and a credible plan for restoring stability,” Atupele said, as quoted by the Nation.

Muluzi also demanded a full and transparent account of the decision to liquidate the Reserve Bank of Malawi’s sovereign gold reserves, following a Malawi24 exposé that government was offloading the gold like a black market forex dealer without disclosing the buyer or the market value of the gold being sold.

Muluzi is also demanding that government disclose the terms, the amounts and the rationale so that Malawians understand what has been done with national assets held in their name.

Officials within the Malawi government have previously been implicated in the gold smuggling syndicate. The involvement of the Reserve Bank as an enabler in the process is yet to be established.

Meanwhile, the once defunct Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), which went quiet having been politically connected to the previous administration of President Lazarus Chakwera when its leadership were appointed into ministerial and other government positions has finally rediscovered the voice it lost during the Chakwera era. HRDC chairperson Michael Kaiyatsa said while official figures indicate a drop in inflation, this has not translated into relief for ordinary Malawians as has called on Mutharika to address Malawians.

“HRDC calls on His Excellency the President of the Republic of Malawi to address the nation urgently, openly, and candidly on the state of the economy. Such an address is critical to provide clear leadership and reassurance to a distressed nation,” Kaiyatsa said, as quoted by the Nation.

Kaiyatsa added that HRDC will not be party to endless engagements with government that produce no results. Ironically, the grouping stood by as the country dipped into hyperinflation with wanton corruption and a rising cost of living during the Chakwera regime.

Government has pushed back against the demands for Mutharika to speak up. Minister of Information and Communications Technology Shadric Namalomba said government has noted the concerns but will respond through action rather than commentary. “This is not time for politicking but for delivering solutions,” he said — just before he and other ministers hosted a press conference where the talking lasted hours. In contrast, the crises biting Malawians have doubled down.

Presidential press secretary Cathy Maulidi asked for more time before commenting on the matter.