Chakwera vows to crash ‘greedy sector’: Malawians to benefit from natural resources
The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) says Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) must incorporate locals so that Malawians must benefit from their own resources.
MCP President Dr Lazarus Chakwera said this during whistle stop tours held in northern Mzimba district at Ekwendeni, Euthini and Mzimba Boma on Saturday.
Chakwera is also scheduled to hold similar meetings in Rumphi, Karonga and Chitipa district.
FDI is a direct investment into production or business in a country by an individual or company of another country, either by buying a company in the target country or by expanding operations of an existing business in that country.
He cited Malawi’s nascent Mining sector as an example where few people are benefiting.
“As custodians of the natural resources, Malawians must benefit and should be empowered economically and socially to uplift their standard of living,” Chakwera said.
He said there should be effective corporate social responsibility programmes by mining companies and foreign investors.
Chakwera said it is very shameful and unfortunate that natural resources that God blessed the country with are just benefiting few people.
“God gave us these natural resources so that Malawians should benefit from that not two or three people only. We need to be transparent on how things that involve human life works and how they are accepted in our country,” he said.
He said it is pathetic that Malawi at 50 years of independence was failing to feed its self and has evolved into a perpetual beggar.
“Other countries do not respect us because we are beggars. Malawi should be self-sufficient and this means that Malawians must have disposable incomes and not its leaders,” said the former Cleric.
He said corruption in Malawi has become big business saying that is why Malawi is branded as one of the least developed countries in the world.
“Our government practice servant leadership and we will endeavour to empower workers with survival wages, good houses and conducive working conditions. This we believe will minimise or end corruption,” Chakwera said.
He said there is need to revolutionise politics in Malawi to benefit its people, saying MCP does not tolerate mudslinging, violence or its youths to harass people.
“That is savage politics. As MCP we buried the past and we are a reincarnation,” Chakwera said.
The MCP leader also reiterated that MCP will ensure that Malawi has some fertiliser factories so that the commodity is cheap hence affordable to all Malawians.
“People are tired of hunger, corruption, lies and economic malaise. If you vote for Chakwera on May 20 then it means we are in covenant,” he said.
Chakwera emphasised that his government will shy away from dishing handouts but will ensure that Malawians are empowered to produce their own wealth.
“Malawians should not be beggars. In less than 10 years we can make Malawi become a middle income country with a reformed and revamped civil service were promotion is based on performance and qualifications and where fiscal discipline is enforced,” he said.
Chakwera is one of the front runners in the May 20 elections. Others are Atupele Muluzi of UDF, Peter Mutharika of DPP, and incumbent Joyce Banda of PP and Mark Katsonga Phiri of PPM.
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