Mutharika’s 2014 ‘lies’ catch up with him

Politicians can indeed fool some people some of the time, but in the end, the chickens come home to roost. The promises President Peter Mutharika made as part of his 2014 presidential campaign have returned to haunt his 2019 re-election bid.

Renowned social commentator, Stanley Onjezani Kenani, has made a list of what he describe as 75 unfulfilled promises that Mutharika and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) made in 2014 manifesto.

“After outlining 75 promises Peter Mutharika and his party made to Malawians in 2014 but never fulfilled, I see no reason why these con artists should compile another manifesto. If they do, libraries should stock it in the section of fantasy fiction, the same section we find A Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, etc” he posted on Facebook.

Below we publish, in verbatim, the 75 Mutharika Lies according to Kenani (views in this post are those of the author and not necessarily of Malawi24).

Things Peter Mutharika promised Malawians in 2014 (I am copying this from the DPP manifesto). Sorry, it is a long post, but I am highlighting 75 promises DPP made to Malawians which turned out to be lies:

1) We will construct the university campuses in Karonga, Mzimba, Mangochi and Nsanje. (Has anybody seen a single brick as foundation for any of these universities?)

2) The DPP government will provide “Total Security” to both persons and businesses in Malawi. DPP deplores the current levels of insecurity under the current regime (Then they murdered Issa Njauju. What about people with albinism?)

3) Appointment and removal of the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi, Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, the Auditor General, the Director of Public Prosecution, Clerk of Parliament, Malawi Human Rights Commission Executive Secretary, the Malawi Law Commissioner, Director General of the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, MACRA Director General, and leaders of other accountability institutions shall be on merit through a special public appointments committee. (Has anybody seen any such special appointments committee ever?)

4) Mutharika and his party promised to introduce a health insurance scheme for civil servants. (Where is it? And now he is talking of increasing their salaries every year, despite telling them to go to hell when they demanded a salary increase in 2015).

5) He promised zero-tolerance to corruption, now he is stealing with Karim, Phiri, Chisale and others.

6) . The DPP shall promote our economic prosperity by establishing new processing industries to add value to our exports by transforming our cotton, tobacco, tea, coffee, groundnuts, fish, hides and skins into finished products (has anybody seen any such industry set up under this government?

7) A Democratic Progressive Party government will ensure that all public/civil servants receive a wage that compares favourably with their counterparts in the private sector. (My friends in the civil service, does your salary compare favourably with those working at Press Corporation??)

8)Members of Parliament will be encouraged to interact more regularly with the people through “Meet the People” sessions which will take place every three months during which any Member of Parliament or the public can ask questions for information and clarification. (Kikikiki)

9) There will be a new political forum called the “Council of Representatives” composed of group interests including Traditional Chiefs, Teachers, Religious Group, Women in Business, the Youth, the Elderly, the People with Disabilities and NonGovernmental Organizations. The Council of Representatives will be an advisory body to Parliament and shall debate issues of specific interest to them and make proposals and recommendations to the Parliament for endorsement and legislation. (Hilarious).

10) The DPP government shall construct the state of the art judicial complex adjacent to the Parliament complex in Lilongwe. (Mutharika builds things with his mouth. The photo in this post was what he called an architectural plan of the new judicial complex. It, in fact, was the Ralph L. Carr Colorado Justice Center in Denver, USA, downloaded from the internet).

11) The DPP will promote horticulture farming, processing and marketing. A lot of horticulture produce e.g. tomatoes, cabbage and potatoes are spoiled due to lack of proper coordination and storage of produce. The DPP will promote horticulture bulking groups in rural areas who will be provided with cold room storage facilities and processing equipment. (Kikikiki)

12) The DPP will promote fish farming among small holder farmers by constructing ponds and dams in rural areas. High value fish varieties such as Chambo will be promoted to supplement the Chambo from Lake Malawi. (Kikikiki).

13) The “Green Belt” Initiative we initiated in the previous term will stretch from Karonga all the way to Nsanje. This will entail irrigation of land up to 20 kilometres from the lake shores to provide water for irrigation. We shall grow rice mainly for export and other food crops such as maize, millet, potatoes, cassava, beans, wheat, lentils, sugar, cotton, groundnuts and sunflower. (Kikikiki).

14) We will improve food security by growing at least two crops within a year (These guys really know how to lie, kikikiki).

15) Expand irrigation farming by encouraging our people in other areas in the villages to construct small earth dams that can hold water for irrigation. (Kikikiki)

16) We shall supply more rural farmers with treadle pumps, sprinklers, and motorized pumps. (Kikikiki).

17) We will enhance garment manufacturing that will open up new windows of opportunity for our country to produce a wide range of finished garments, such as shirts, dresses, bath towels, beddings and linen, table cloths, and a variety of uniforms for civilian, police and military use (kikikiki).

18) The DPP Government will increase export earnings from tobacco by adding value to tobacco through manufacturing of cigarettes, pipe tobacco, snuff, cigars and cigarillos that will also create new jobs for our people.(Kikikiki)

19) Mutharika promised to double our exports in five years. However, exports dipped from $303 million in 2013 to $296 million in 2017, according to a Daily Times article on 22 October this year.

20) The tea industry will be reviewed and reorganized to contribute more positively to the economic prosperity of our people. We plan to facilitate and to attract new investments while improving the quality of our tea in the international markets. (Kikikiki)

21. An important cash crop that can improve our export trade is paprika. The DPP government will, therefore, enhance contribution of the paprika industry to our economy by, increasing investment in research and the production, processing and marketing of this crop and to encourage more farmers to grow this cash crop. (Kikikiki)

22) All districts in Malawi will have adequate medical facilities including “primary health care” within a reasonable distance from their homes; Medical services in Malawi will be overhauled to the remotest areas of our country. (kikikiki, these thieves!)

23) All existing health and sanitation facilities in public places such as schools, hospitals, clinics, cinemas, government buildings and offices, airports, bus stations, and market places will be rehabilitated and made operational through effective maintenance and repairs. (kikikiki)

24) New mobile medical facilities will be introduced in the rural areas especially of hospitals and clinics; traditional markets in the rural areas should be provided with toilets and potable water through local governments or local municipalities, duly established for this and related purposes. (Has anybody seen any such facility?)

25) Hospitals and clinics in all parts of the country will be better equipped and modernized. (Eish, these thieves).

26) Extensive and intensive training programmes including skills upgrading will be introduced in the medical profession; this will be accompanied by appropriate rewards and incentives to all people working in the field of heath and sanitation. (Kikikiki!)

27) We will look into health insurance for ALL Malawians. The DPP Government will provide universal health under the Millennium Development Goals and Post 2015 agenda, and improve access to basic health facilities for the rural and urban poor. (Kikikiki. Osangonena bwanji kuti we will fatten Zameer Karim?)

28) We will reduce morbidity and mortality, particularly among the most vulnerable groups, through the implementation of the Essential Health Package, and other national plans and programmes. This package will be delivered free of charge at the point of delivery for those who cannot afford to pay. (Promises and lies, by UB40).

29) Elimination of illiteracy in Malawi, within the shortest possible time, so that every Malawi man and woman is given the opportunity to learn to read and write. (Kikikiki)

30. Repairing and upgrading old schools and building new ones to provide adequate schooling facilities; desks and other school equipment, will be supplied and kept in proper condition; the goal is that anywhere in Malawi no child should have to walk more than five kilometres to attend school. (Kikikiki).

31. Computer sciences will constitute an important aspect of the curriculum. (Kikikiki)

32. We will create a Special Child and Youth Rehabilitation Fund that will enable the children and youth from impoverished families have access to vocational training so as to equip them to become self-reliant; and to prevent the youth from being exposed to drug abuse and drug trafficking. (kikiki)

33.The youth will be encouraged to form their associations from which they will receive guidance and leadership; they will not be trained as a force to terrorize the public or engage in criminal activities or human rights violations; the new policy will be to transform the negative image of the Youth to a positive and dynamic one for development of our nation. (You should just have said you will paint the youth).

34. Develop new programmes designed to suit our children based on our own tradition and culture; establish more child welfare facilities, including clinics, nurseries, kindergartens and day-care centres throughout the country especially
in public places such as markets; these will be fully equipped with trained personnel, toys, books, audio-visuals and other facilities. (Establishing ndi pakamwa basi?)

35. More girls’ hostels at secondary schools will be built throughout the country to ensure that girls receive better education. (Thieves! Where are these hostels?)

36. Teachers’ terms and conditions will be reviewed in order to make them competitive. This includes salaries and housing. Payment of their salaries will be prioritised and on time. (The first thing he did on taking power was to forget teachers and to remember Zameer Karim).

37. Children with learning disabilities, including the physically disabled or handicapped or those requiring, specialized training, will be provided with adequate facilities to enable them to train side-by-side with the rest of the children. (Ma adequate facilities awawa ali kuti?)

38. Women who did not complete their primary and secondary education will be supported to enroll and learn. Their learning will cover important facets of life such as reading and writing, nutrition, entrepreneurship, health etc. Women and girls who dropped out of formal school due to pregnancy and other reasons will be encouraged to go back and complete their education. (This never happened).

39. The DPP will intensify research by our own universities, colleges and institutions of higher learning and in processing of our natural resources in order to produce new brands of goods for the domestic and export markets. (Zili kuti izizi?)

40. Promote Biotechnology in order to improve current plant and animal varieties. An institute of Biotechnology will be established to promote this field of science. (Zili kuti izizi? Where is the institute of biotechnology in Malawi? Ntchito kunyoza MCP kuti it did nothing, inu mukumanga ma institute of biotechnology ndi kamwa lokha.).

41. The government will also provide research grants to our local institutions to develop new food products from maize, met, sorghum, other cereals as well as tubers so as to diversify our dietary habits thereby averting hunger. (Anaperekapo kuti ma research grant awawa?)

42. Internet access will be available in public places and all government departments will have internet access. All secondary schools will have computer labs and learning of
computer science will be intensified. (Zili kuti izizi?)

43. The DPP recognises that deforestation in some areas especially within 50km of major cities is primarily due to charcoal generation. The DPP will encourage high income alternative opportunities to the charcoal generation communities on one hand and, by encouraging reliable and cheaper electricity in the cities, will encourage more dependence on cleaner energy by city residents to arrest the effects of deforestation due to charcoal generation. (Amakala munawakumbuka inu?)

44. The DPP will give special attention to curbing deforestation of Chikangawa forests and Mulanje Mountain. (Zabodza).

45. The DPP will intensify reforestation programmes as a natural priority (Kungoona ndalama m’boma mutu kubaizika, zonsezi kuyiwaliratu, muli mwai wathu ndi womewu tilemere).

46. We will develop an appropriate policy framework linking natural resources, environment and tourism to economic and social progress. (Zili pati izizi? Ntchito kedifenda Crown Feeds).

47. Develop an appropriate policy framework linking natural resources, environment and tourism to economic and social progress. (Zili pati izizi?)

48. More advanced technologies will be introduced for exploitation of commercial hydropower, wind and solar power for rural electrification through, inter alia, the use of coal, geo-thermal, solar and wind energy. (Magesi awa akuthima daily, four million litres ya timagenerator tanu tija munabanso).

49. The DPP will promote research and usage of biofuels in the form of biogass, bioethanol and biodiesel. A Bioenergy Commission will be established to regulate and promote the usage of bioenergy in the form of biofuels. Furthermore incentives will be provided to agro-industries that use agriculture waste products for the cogeneration of electricity. (Commission ya bioenergy ili kuti kodi abale?)

50. The DPP will undertake research and development of Malawi tourist attractions with a view to identifying areas or specialties which the neighbouring countries do not have. (Zili pati izizi kodi?).

51. The DPP will enter into an agreement with the immediate neighbours, especially Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa so as to agree on a tourism promotion and sharing packages that will enable some of the tourists to visit Malawi as part of a comprehensive regional package. (Zili pati izizi?)

52. The DPP will focus on improving, upgrading and pricing of our hotels to enable them to offer more value for money especially for bargain-hunters and to introduce more competition in the hotel industry to avoid poor services arising from monopoly. (Zili pati izizi?)

53. The DPP will develop, as part of the tourist industry, off-shore banking facilities, financial services, casinos and other international land or water sporting events e.g. rallies and motor boats and water skiing that will attract visitors into our country. (Alipo anamvako kuti DPP yapanga develop offshore banking facilities? Ma rally? Kunkakhala World Yachting Marathon panyanja pano inatha.).

54. The DPP will implement a new programme for training for hoteliers, waiters and waitresses, tourism operators and guide to imbue a new Malawi culture in the industry. (Ili kuti programme imeneyi?)

55. Establish recreational parks, botanic gardens and zoos in major cities and towns of Malawi. (Can anybody show us botanical gardens created by this government?).

56. We shall revive the Nsanje World Inland Port Projet which will cut transportation costs by 60% (Kikiki. Olo tsiku limodzi Peter Mutharika kuponda phazi ku Nsanje port. Pano anthu akuyanikapo zovala).

57. We will upgrade and maintain Kamuzu and Chileka International airports, and develop international airports in Mangochi, Nsanje, Mzuzu and Karonga. (Tazingomwani mowa apa, osatipusitsa. Tiwonetseni airport ya ku Nsanje yomwe mawapanga develop).

58. We shall rehabilitate existing railways and develop new railway networks for integrating with regional networks and harmonize railways policy, administration practices and procedures to ensure that railways networks are compatible with other modes of transport. (Tiwonetseni railway network imodzi yokha yomwe mwapanga – chonde osatinamiza za Vale).

59. The DPP will remove the tendency of personalizing, and to a larger extent, politicising concepts and development projects. Personalizing concepts and projects makes it difficult for project continuity as regimes change and this leads to abandonment of brilliant projects and ideas. (Anthu abodza inu; Peter Mutharika daily kupanga personalise maproject).

60. The DPP will genuinely recognize women as equal partners in development in every field of economic and political endeavour and ensure that they are supported to
become Company Executives, Board members, Members of Parliament and Cabinet Ministers just to mention a few. (Chonsecho in a cabinet of 20, only three women, winayonso woti anakanika kupanga declare ma-asset, kulakwira malamulo a dziko lathu).

61. We will train more women in management and technical skills, advertising, market research, product development, packaging and quality control. Emphasis will also be given to training in the use of science and technology, to improve productivity and competitiveness. (Training imeneyi inachitikira kuti?)

62. The DPP will actively support the informal sector operators, including rural “vendors” by assisting them to own more viable businesses, marketing or trader’s associations to increase their awareness of their role and contribution towards
trade development. (Support imeneyi ili kuti?)

63. The DPP will provide better training facilities to enable rural communities to improve their production and capacities through acquisition of skills in various forms of vocational and on-the-job training schemes; and extension of employment opportunities to the informal sector within the framework of a sound human resources development policy. (Zili pati izizi?)

65. We will be providing financial support to s: (i) Households headed by women who single-handedly take up responsibility of raising and educating children without a husband; (ii) Households headed by elderly people with no financial means but who look after grandchildren whose parents have died of HIV/AIDS and other illnesses; (iii)Households headed by small children who are forced to look after other children because their parents have died and no one is taking care of them; and (iv)Households headed by people with physical disabilities who struggle to make a living so as to care for their children. (Zili pati izizi?)

66. We will establish new vocational and business training centres, especially for vendors that will empower a larger number of youths to stand on their own financially through viable business ventures. (Vendors out there, are there any such centres?)

67. Encourage and assist the youth to articulate their needs through the formation of area, district and national youth organizations. (Zabodza).

68. DPP will establish the National Youth Development Service (NYDS), whose basic objective is to develop a variety of skills and programmes for the youth and to equip them to
acquire capacities to stand on their own. The NYDS will consist of the following elements:- (i) Provision of vocational and other training for a period of one year depending upon the chosen field. This training will be designed in such a way that the graduates become self-employed instead of looking up to the government for jobs. Some of them will be absorbed in the civil service or the private sector. (ii) Creation of opportunities for the youths to participate in development projects such as agriculture, irrigation, building and construction, manufacturing, wildlife conservation and primary health care. The NYDS will also be called upon to assist, in collaboration with the Armed Forces, in times of national disasters. (iii)Development of a sense of service by our youth who will also be called upon to assist in maintaining security and order especially during major public events taking place in our country. (iv)Provision, upon completion of their training in the NYDS with start-up capital, tools and technical support to the graduates to go into businesses of their choice. The progress of these new business ventures will be regularly monitored to ensure they succeed and eventually form part of a truly national business community. (v) Participation in global, continental and regional peace and security initiatives of the United Nations, the European Union, and the Organization of Africa Unity, the Southern African Development Community, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa and other regional efforts aimed at resolving civil wars and conflicts in Africa. (All lies. All we see these days are painted youth).

69. The Government will ensure that all public buildings and transport services shall be fitted with appropriate ramps and other such devices that will enable people with disabilities to enter and exit such buildings and transport vehicles with ease and comfort. It will also encourage similar modifications and facilities in privately-owned buildings and commercial vehicles. (Lies).

70. We will assit those with impaired hearing in procuring hearing aids and sign language services, braille materials, and other such devices as will make them perform efficiently in schools or at work. We shall also introduce special sports for them. (Not true).

71. We will reorganize Malawi Housing Corporation to directly assist the lowincome individuals to acquire low-interest loans from building societies, commercial banks and other lending institutions.

72. There will be more vigorous policy for rehabilitation, development and maintenance of all government houses. (Lies).

73. The DPP government will construct durable and habitable housing to be sold to the citizens of Malawi. This will enable the low-income groups to acquire their own homes. (Zili kuti izizi?)

74. The DPP government will build and improve the capacity and professional competence of the Malawi Defense Force and the Police Service to respond adequately and urgently to the needs of our nation by providing them with adequate training, better equipment and support facilities, better housing and improved service conditions. (You borrowed K328 million from China for this, only 15 houses built so far. Thieves!)

75. The DPP government will overhaul the neighbourhood watch into Citizen’s Police. Citizen’s Police will have volunteers who will be better trained in crime prevention and effecting arrest. Those that perform well can upgrade and become full time police men and women. (Hahahaha)

If DPP gives you a manifesto for 2019, flush it down the toilet. They are all lies.