Chakwera performs state opening of Parliament, delivers first Sona
President Lazarus Chakwera on Friday performed the State opening of the first meeting of the 49th session of Parliament in Lilongwe and the 2020/2021 National Budget meeting.
By 10am, the President arrived at Parliament and proceeded to inspect a guard of honour, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) supporters and sympathisers saluted and cheered him on.
Inside Parliament, Members of Parliament (MPs) across the political divide were seen mocking each other, with the Tonse Alliance government side members bragging of being in power legitimately.
When vice-president Saulos Chilima walked into the chamber. The government MPs cheered him, but the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators queued to greet Chilima who was conspicuously friendly – despite being ill-treated by the party when he was second-in-command to the country’s immediate past president Peter Mutharika.
While the majority MPs showed the usual respect the President enjoys in the august House, someDPP MPs were seen making noise deliberately to disrupt th Sona but the first-ever female Speaker Catherine Gotani Hara stood and warned them against making further noise.
Chakwera started his Sona by stating that “Malawi stands in the twilight hours between the receding gloom of a long dark night and the rising bloom of a new day.”
Said the President: “ In this time of transition, the providence of God and the profundity of Malawians have conspired to bestow on me the honor of presenting you and this August House with a portrait of the state of our nation.”
Chakwera delivered his Sona under the theme, ‘Restoring Warmth to the Heart of Africa,’ covering his assessment of the state of the Republic, the state of the citizens, the state of the economy, and the state of governance.
He applauded the Justices of the High Court and Supreme Court for earning Malawi high praise across the globe through their meticulous and transparent handling of the
Constitutional case on the disputed 2019 Presidential election.
Chakwera said his administration will ensure that the judiciary is empowered to ensure justice all the time in time to all people.
He suggests the construction of judiciary headquarters behind Parliament building
The President said his administration is currently training 50 Magistrates in order to boost the judiciary services.
During the Sona, Chakwera announced that he will soon be launching National Youths Services in light of 1 million jobs promise.
Chakwera touched on the need of revamping the railway line as one way of boosting transportation sector.
He said:”Its sad that the DPP regime neglected the railway sector the reasons which they know.”
On local government, Chakwera said his administration will construct District Commissioners’ and Civic Offices in Councils.
“We will also review the policies and systems related to the administration of local councils and the improvement of Chiefs’ welfare,” he said.
Chakwera describes Councils as critical stakeholders in Rural Transformation and Development agenda, saying they are at the epicenter of inclusive wealth creation in local communities.
On the quota system of selecting students to public universities, Chakwera saidwhile the past administration made sure that the quota system is gone, my administration will make sure that the quota system is dead.
“My administration is committed to ensuring that every child goes to school, stays in school and finishes school,” he said.
Chakwera has since promised to revamp tobacco farming so that farmers benefits from the industry.
On foreign affairs , Chakwera promised to work with African Union, United Nations Southern Africa Development Community in order to ensure economic intergration.
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MUCHIRA. NTHAWI IRIPO.
We want to see change in Malawi. The presidents who came after Kamuzu were all useless and thieves and only JB can be given the benefit of doubt but her appeasement policy did not help her. Thieves like Mphwiyo, Leonard Kalonga, Sithole, etc thrived under JB. We want to see public hospitals and public schools function like before. We want clean hospitals and Bingu managed to bring sanity during his first term. On the courts, it is good to motivate the judiciary. It is only Judges that are given respect. The morale is very low in the lower courts. We… Read more »
The magistrates in the districts walk to work. Please provide them with transport. The Industrial Relations Courts is almost non-existent. There’s a backlog of cases there. Please review it Mr. Chief Justice. Why should people wait for 10 years to get justice at IRC. There’s also laziness at the courts. Case hearing starts very late and it’s 11 am.
British MPs frequently behave like small, badly-behaved children in their parliament. There is no need for our MPs to follow their puerile example. Let’s treat ourselves with a little mutual respect.
But tobbaco farming is very outdated. Strategically there was a need for change before year 2000
I enjoyed the commander in chief stopping to have a quick discussion with one of his soldiers during the inspection of the guard of honor. Kamuzu used to enjoy that and it shows comfort between commander in chief and men in uniform.
APM used to literally run past them, clearly scared to death of his own men and women in uniform!
Chakwera speech is just rhetoric from head of state with Empty promises . You are saying your government is training 50 magistrates. Ayamba liti training ?Akupangira kuti training inu you just came into Government 2 months ago?? Those magistrates were being trained by DPP inu mwangopezera. On You Service What is the difference with Technical colleges which DPP initiated to empower the youth? Nothing new Lazaro will bring . As a civil servant I am waiting for my salary to be at par with a fellow degree holder in the private sector as Saulosi has promised us. Failing which get… Read more »
Go to bed my friend, ukuona nyekhwe I think. Chakwera will deliver osati mbava zinzako za DPP
An empty speech so far. Inspiring no hope. No serious agenda in it.
I am yet to read what part of the sona is driving the economy forward.
On quota system, thank you so much bwana president, mbuli Pano zioneka zokha, as you said work hard, work hard, work hard…. Students who are lazy, their honey moon is over. No more Jerusalem certificate. Bravo Chakwera Bravo Chilima.