Blantyre rings in 2017 with spectacular fireworks display: Malawians leap in new year with gloom

Malawians celebrated the entering of the New Year with fireworks, parties, dances and prayers although economically the future still looks blurred and bleak.

The main official activities of celebrating the coming of 2017 was held in Blantyre city the commercial capital where the city council teamed up with TNM and Rab Processors to organise a grand party at Independence Arch, Chichiri.

People bought food and drunk as they waited for midnight and when the time struck, rare fireworks were heard even from a far.

Hundreds attended  to watch the spectacular fireworks display and celebrate the arrival of 2017.

Blantyre city council public relations officer Anthony Kasunda said the event was a “massive success”.

Wishing everybody a happy new year he added: “Its been a great event.”

However, interviews and Facebook posts show that Malawians see no future in 2017.

“May be we just need divine situation. I don’t think anything will change,” said 39 year old Fatsani Banda on January 1 in Lilongwe.

There are even harsher comments for President Peter Mutharika’s administration in social media.

The administration failed last year to fix the broken economy which say the kwacha depreciating heavily over the dollar and other foreign currencies, inflation hovering at 20 per cent and an all year round high bank interests rate.

This, coupled with high prices of maize in Admarc markets, has drastically pushed the cost of living.

In his end of year message, Mutharika said all will be well in 2017 if Malawians adhered and adopted patriotism, integrity and hardwork as their pillars.

Leader of Opposition Lazarus Chakwera says this shows Mutharika has failed to rule Malawi but fell short of asking him to resign.

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