Chakwera blames Malawi poverty on ‘god-like’ leaders
The opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has observed that the root cause for the country’s distressing poverty is the trend by leaders who look upon themselves as gods.
Chakwera made the remarks Sunday at Nathenje in Lilongwe when the party’s members welcomed him from his week-long Southern Region campaign trail.
“The problem is that the leaders we entrust to lead us think they can do anything… even if it means stealing funds meant for hospital drugs and other basic needs for a common person.
“We are tired of such kind of leaders who always want people to fret whenever they see them.
“It is high time we give power back to the people. Power that will see them having enough food for the whole year, power that will enable them to create wealth on their own and power that will create opportunities to every hard working citizen,” said the MCP leader.
To achieve the goal, Chakwera called on Malawians to forget their regional boundaries and refocus on development the country as Malawians.
“Unity is paramount in everything because we cannot manage to stand up if we are not united, we will always let those that have been stealing what belongs to us if we are not united and we will remain poorer in the next 50 years if such type of leadership continues.
“The key to all this is for us to forget which tribe or region we come from. Let us vote for those who have the welfare of the people at heart. Malawi needs a new leader, a leader who is clean and will rule this country for the benefit of everyone,” he said.
Chakwera also observed if politicians with links to the infamous cashgate scandal are left to rule Malawi again, chances are high they would empty government coffers than is the case now.
“When you are in college, you always want to graduate so just like with cashgate, those who have been stealing during the present regime if given another chance they would steal more because they would have graduated. So we need someone who will empower the poor to enrich themselves and not wait the rich to feed them,” concluded.
The MCP leader had been in Southern Malawi on an eight-day Kwacha tour that took him to some nine districts of Nsanje, Chikhwawa, Blantyre city and rural, Thyolo, Mulanje, Phalombe, Chiradzulu, Mwanza and Neno districts.
During his tour, Chakwera urged Malawians to vote for him and his party because he was an able leader with integrity, vision as well as credentials.
Chakwera led the Assemblies of God Church in Malawi for 24 years and resigned last year to purse a political career.
He was elected to lead the country’s oldest political party taking over from John Tembo, the veteran politician and longest serving lawmaker in Malawi Parliament. —Additional reporting by Felie Mzumara, Nyasa Times
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