Youths in the country have been urged to actively start participating in politics to bail out Malawi’s poor economy.
Public relations officer of Umodzi Party Pemphero Mphande made the call saying the country’s economy can be easily bailed out by youths hence they should start participating in politics.
The 25 year old Mphande said he is concerned about youth empowerment based on youth involvement in drafting the youth empowerment policy.
He added that Malawi is at a critical stage as it seeks to transform from arguably the poorest country in the world to a prosperous African and global economy.
“Youths are not leaders of tomorrow but today. Youths can be part of politics at the highest level to bail out Malawi’s economy. So yes, it’s us the youth, who will do it.
“If we sit down and wait tomorrow the debts which our government is borrowing will be paid by us. So yes, it is us the youth, who will do it.” Mphande told Malawi24.
Mphande who is an aspiring Parliament told this publication that winds of change are blowing over Malawi and the key to change is in the hands of the youth of Malawi.
He added that the numbers show that more than 50 percent of Malawi is made up of young people and from the 2014 statistics, 50 percent of eligible voters were youth and the projection for 2019 is that again over 60 percent of voters will be young people.
He then pointed fingers on the youths themselves saying their problem is political disinterest.
“We love to complain. We like to be told we are leaders of tomorrow. Therefore, we sit on the sidelines and wait for others to bring the change we want.
“Let us take part in politics. It is not a dirty game. It is a tool of making our world better. It needs the best minds to drive it,” said Mphande.
Mphande, you are an inspiring young man and I wish more youth would emulate you! As you rightly observe, the youth in Malawi is a passive group with no political ambitions and no desire to participate in the shaping of the country’s destiny. They only know how to criticise and complain ( only on social media!) when things go wrong. When will the Malawi youth open their eyes so that they participate actively in Universities, Colleges, Schools, etc? Without the youth participation the country continue fielding old timers on the political arena for a long time to come. Malawi youth, come out of your cocoons and start participating in politics now! Complaints without your action will not change the political set up but your participation will do. If you cannot change the political landscape then you have yourselves to blame for being ruled by worn out, tired, over – aged, recycled and opportunistic ‘politicians’ whose only interests are their pot bellies and their families.