Chakwera says 100 days focused on turning Malawi around: ‘Self-enriching criminal pirates hijacked nation’
President Lazarus Chakwera on Monday hit the 100-day marker that the media has used to judge presidents but the Malawi leader said it is not “panacea” to evaluate his administration, saying his focus together with the second-in-command Saulos Chilima has been focused to turn the country around and steady the ship which was heading in the wrong direction for long time.
Chakwera was speaking at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe to may his first 100 days in office where he also bravely answered some critical questions from the journalists in a live television broadcast.
The President said the new government is aiming at turning around the ship from flooding, pointing out that Malawi may, for a while, sail in unsafe water before things get better.
Chakwera said: “My first task as captain was to put together a solid team of seasoned sailors to stop the vessel from going under and to have it facing our desired shore of shared prosperity.
”I know that because this ship we call Malawi had been hijacked by self-enriching criminal pirates for years, there was a great expectation that having a new captain and a new team of sailors meant that we would reach the shore of new jobs, cheap fertilizer, better hospitals, and good schools right away. However, as any good sailor will tell you, stopping a flooding ship from sinking and turning it around in such hostile conditions of a pandemic are not small feats, but necessary first steps that needed to be done in these first 100 days.”
Chakwera said stopping the vessel from flooding and turning it around was indispensable, saying his Tonse Alliance led administration has laid the groundwork for the voyage.
“We can now begin together back to safer waters and greener shores,” he said.
President Chakwera persuaded Malawians to be “wise enough to remember that the unsafe waters that still surround us, however difficult they may be, are waters we are now sailing out of, not waters we are shipwrecked in.”
The following, according, to Chakwera are among the Tonse Administration achievements in the first 100 days.
- Appointment of a 31-member cabinet
- Organising of countrywide personnel audit in the public service
- Engaging with various stakeholders; Leaders of NGOs, traditional leaders to hear their views
- Organising Weekly Briefing as an accountability mechanisms.
- Appointed board
- An increase of funding to ACB – this is a commitment to fight corruption.
- We have begun to reform MBC to be a true broadcaster and not propaganda machinery.
Other achievements include the appointment of Vincent Nundwe as Commander of Malawi Defence Force, appointment of George Kainja as Inspector General of Police and reversing of the decision to force some judges including Chief Justice to go on leave pending retirement.
On the appointment of boards in relation to women representation, which is below the requirement under the Gender Equality Act, Chakwera said within his term he will achieve 50-50 representation. He stressed it’s a step by step approach to achieving the desired equal gender representation in appointments.
Chakwera pointed out that, before the presidency, he championed women empowerment in church. He said he needs time – to achieve the required gender balance in public appointments.
“The 100 days is not a panacea to all our challenges,” said Chakwera as he never displayed any panic or even bad temper as other past president has been doing in interface with the media.
Chakwera also dislocated that his administration has made progress in the development of the National Older Persons Bill to regulate the protection of the elderly, saying government Has since dissolved 3098 child marriages.
The President has justified his decision to hire some retired civil servants saying this is aimed at bringing back the lost discipline in the civil service.
At the function Chakwera was given a book with a brief version of his biography which has been written by Malawi’s famed writer and journalist Willie Zingani of ‘I write what I see’ fame who titled it ‘Chakwera – the journey to the presidency.’
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As if Hastings Kamuzu Banda was not a mass murdering, imprisoning without trial goon. Who also showed favoritism, nepotism, hatred for all other tribes except for central region goons. People thrown into the crocodile swamps and detained in Dzaleka. detention center. . Should we mention special branch which was working with the racist goverment of the booers. And yet brain dead Malawians appraise Kamuzu. If it was not for Bakili Muluzi and Catholic priests. This greasy man of gawd will not have freedom of speech. Bandits in 1994 are actually the necessary game changers. Even before 1994 Malawi still looked… Read more »
Ma cadet ngati amadya nawo za kuba awone zina apa. The country was hijacked by terrorists and bandits in 1994. We were under siege for 26 years. Without dpp and bedfellows udf we have oxygen supply. Don’t worry about distractors who are continuously making noise. That’s what a human being is all about. We are negative.
Chakwera is the most power hungry leader we have ever had. His vanity ie suits, biography, pompous behaviour, his nepotism, his tribalism are the foundations of his failure. What a fool – a biography by Willie within months of this election. Maybe first deliver on your promises than resort to such idiotic vanities as a biography and flying to neighbouring states.
This is how we know that this guy is an egomaniac megalomaniac pulpit pimp. Writing books about himself and some low grade nonsensical achievements such as appointing his croonies to loot more of the government coffers. The most pathetic will think this is accountability but accountability manifests itself in works. Not self agrandasing paper backs. Even Donald trump didnt write books much less freedom fighters like Nelson Mandela. This thing Malawians have chosen to ” rule” over them is on a one way ticket to hell chitavala panti wothira mafuta. Ivi ndi va nyau vo nama. Watch this space with… Read more »
Mr President, the targets and milestones were set by no other than yourself.
It would be sensible if you have justifiable reasons for lack of achievements as opposed to blaming public expectations that were set by yourself!
Taweni wake tidamuvotera tilikusangalara heavy. Mbava tidazizika. Zina zizipita kundende posachedwapa
What a disgrace! Very pathetic to be kind with you Mr President.
We voted for a pathological liar.
Seasoned sailors Abida Mia, Roy Kachale, Manganya kikikikiki
I cannot even bother to rate you, better eat a used tissue than rate you.
Obviously cadet.
You are very unhappy
Foseki
These people are well qualified and educated. We need honest people not theaves like Norman Chisale
Mentally sick president.all those listed achievements can be done by any person including a primary school dropout.this one for sure will be a one term president.appointing ministers is a constitution requirement,so it cannot be regarding as an achievement.let him read about president Roosevelt and how he tackled the great depression.history books tells us that in the first 100 days of deploying his economic recovery plan,the economy was showing greenshots.
Our expectations from Chakwera were to deal with low hanging fruits to achieve quick wins within the 100 days. These are: 1. Fertilizer should have been in people’s homes by now already. It will rain at any day for planting within October and the first application of fertilizer is done 7 days after planting. 2. Free connection of water and electricity should just have been a directive to Water Boards and Escom. 3. Reduction of passport price and removal of renewal fees for drivers’ licences should have been put in place already. 4. Payment of stipends to the elderly over… Read more »
A good beginning though, whatever you say
There will always be detractors whatever you do but as far as I am concerned, a stage has been set for a better Malawi, a tomorrow better than today. As far as cabinet appointments are concerned, Chakwera clarified and told the nation that a review would be made five months on. Personally I think appointment of a 31 member cabinet is not a big issue. A notable thing is appointment of professionals to parastatal boards as opposed to sleeping chiefs and pastors. One thing that is of concern in the 100 days is the delay in clearing/auditing government procurement. This… Read more »
mtete as much as I agree with you ….you have forgetten kuti kukula kwa cabinet means too much spending….and at the same time what kind of history are we making banja lanthuthu as ministers???? ku tonse kapena enawo ndi “MADEYA”..