While the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is busy selling food availability as a key achievement of its first year in power, former Vice-President Michael Usi has poured cold water on the claim.
Usi has questioned the DPP government’s emphasis on food availability, arguing that providing food is a basic responsibility rather than something citizens should celebrate as a major achievement.
The Odya Zake Alibe Mulandu leader, made the remarks while responding to a question on whether he recognises the DPP government’s efforts to ensure that Malawians have food, using an unusual marriage analogy to explain his position.
He asked whether a man seeking to marry a woman could convince her that his main advantage over other suitors was simply that she would have food if she chose him.
“Can you tell a woman you want to marry that your competitive advantage is that she will be eating? Is that the issue? There are several people competing for that woman, so your competitive advantage would be that she will be eating?” Usi said.
He argued that food is a basic human necessity that cannot be treated as something citizens should be expected to praise a government for providing.
“Malawians should understand that food is a basic thing. There is no negotiation, there is no discussion about people eating. You can’t clap hands because someone is giving you food. No! Without food, you are dead,” he said.
Usi said the government should also focus on other areas that directly affect people’s lives.
His comments come as the DPP marks one year since returning to government on September 16, 2025, after defeating the Tonse Alliance administration led by the Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
Usi, who previously served as Vice-President under the Tonse Alliance, has maintained that the current administration should do more to improve people’s lives and address issues such as corruption, arguing that his criticism is intended as advice rather than an attempt to bring down the government.
