Cedep Christmas message echoes Chakwera that Mutharika has failed to govern Malawi:  Dausi challenges as ‘mere psychological tantrums’

The Centre for Development for People (Cedep) Christmas message  has added its voice to remarks made by Malawi Congress Party (MCP) President and Leader of Opposition, Lazarus Chakwera that President Peter Mutharika has failed to govern Malawi  amid economic turmoil.

The statement signed by Cedep executive director Gift Trapence,  mentions the high cost of living caused by inflation, persistent water shortages and electricity, critical food shortages and high levels of corruption as  some of the issues bedevilling the nation.

Cedep, one of the country’s most vocal NGOs, also blamed government for failure to deal with extra judicial killings and lack of progress in the death of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB’s) director of corporate affairs Issa Njauju and former Polytechnic student Robert Chasowa.

Reads the statement: “The socio-economic challenges are just too many for Malawians to enjoy and celebrate Christmas.

“Indeed this is a very dark, dull and painful Christmas ever in the history of our democratic era. But it is not everybody in this country who is suffering like the poor and common Malawian in the villages. The President and his senior government officials are wallowing in affluence amid our continued poverty.”

Minister of Information, who is also government spokesperson Nicholas Dausi, has rejected the statement by Cedep as “mere psychological tantrums.”

“People have everything in this country, they have food and money. Hard work and discipline makes the country to develop,” said Dausi.

“In fact, Cedep are peddling unfair statement on behalf of the people,” Dausi added.

“The government has already made moves to tap water from Mulanje Mountain to Blantyre, a project tapping water from Lake Malawi to Lilongwe is in progress and that of North Rukuru to Mzuzu is in the pipeline to solve water problems once and for all.

“Steps have also been taken to establish a coal generated electricity plant at Kamwamba in Neno, while we are also upgrading Nkula and Kapichira hydro plants to improve power generation to arrest current power outtages.  As I am speaking government and its partners are distributing free maize to the poorest people while Admarc markets have been stocked with enough maize to deal with the hunger sistuation.”