APM calls Chakwera ‘irresponsible leader’: Malawi eyes Mexico for maize imports

President Peter Mutharika has blasted leader of opposition Lazarus Chakwera as “irresponsible” and reassured Malawians that no one will die of hunger this year although hunger is expected to be worse than last year, saying his government will go as far as Mexico to buy the staple food.

Speaking at Kamuzu Palace recently, Mutharika said most countries that supply maize to Malawi have also been hit hard by El Nino powered drought.

“We rely on countries such as South Africa and Zambia for maize when we are in short supply but these countries have also been hit by the drought so we have to go outside Africa, we will go as far as Mexico,” he said when Public Affairs Committee (PAC) officials told the President to do something on the impending food shortages.

Mutharika said the government is also encouraging winter cropping and that the Green Belt Initiative will take off soon to ensure food security for the starving nation.

He said agriculture minister George Chaponda is expected to launch a major irrigation scheme in the Lower Shire which will help Malawi realize enough food for the people of Nsanje and Chikhwawa and beyond.

Mutharika reiterated no one died of hunger at the height of food shortages this year describing leader of opposition Lazarus Chakwera as an irresponsible leader for “forcing” members of parliament stand up in Parliament and observe a minute silence in remembrance of those who died of hunger.

“I have reports from ministry of Health, police and the intelligence. They all say no one died of hunger,” said Mutharika, quashing reports one person in Mzimba and two boys in Dedza died of hunger.

He said Admarc has already started stocking maize in its warehouses to avert critical food shortages.