Malawi’s economic hardships recipe for civil strife – Manganya
Malawi’s renowned playwright and actor has warned that the ‘pediatrics politics’ being played by President Joyce Banda is an appropriate recipe for civil strife in the country.
Michael Usi, popularly known as Manganya, believes one day Malawians will be forced to go in the streets for an insurrection because of frustrations due to government’s failure to resolve the rising economic hardships.
“It all boils down to pediatric politics whereby the president appoints people into positions out of appeasement. The people entrusted with solving issues are not capable of doing so. This pediatric politics is going to kill Malawi. It is taking us nowhere.
“Malawians should not be taken for granted. One day they may go to the streets in protest because of the economic hardships they are going through,” said Manganya.
Manganya was reacting to government’s lack of proper direction on the implementation of the Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) which local economic experts have faulted government for not doing enough consultations before starting it.
He took a swipe at the leadership saying it was not capable of addressing issues that are currently affecting people’s wellbeing.
“What type of executive is this? Do they think they are more intelligent? They are not capable of addressing issues raised by experts. This ERP has no direction and Malawians will continue suffering.
Manganya advised the Joyce Banda administration to come up with experts from all fields so that they brainstorm on the best implementation strategies.
“The country needs a bailout strategy and not the usual pediatric politics which we see every day. The ERP does not just need politicians to implement. These are people who even do not understand what they are supposed to implement. They are mentally challenged,” alleged Usi, who is the Deputy Country Director for ADRA Malawi.
He said the ERP was a special situation that needed Malawians to be told the nitty-gritty details of its implementation.
Usi suggested that government must publicise the ERP in the media and indicate all the implementation strategies and targets so that Malawians know where they are going.
“Malawians deserve to be told the nitty-gritty details of the ERP implementation but there is no communication. Handling the current economic situation with kids’ gloves is a recipe for civil strife. Malawians may take to the streets one day,” he warned.
He said entrusting the ERP with politicians is dangerous and not considerate to Malawians because politicians do things just to please the president.
Recently, Minister of Economic Planning and Development, Goodall Gondwe, lashed out at ERP critics saying government should be given time to implement the plan.
He said the ERP will not be implemented within 18 months as was being speculated but in two to five years.
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