Chilima says Malawi needs economic liberation: Ends North tour with bumper crowds

State Vice-President Saulos Chilima says Malawi needs urgent economic liberation, bemoaning the poor state of water transport system and tourism along the Lake Malawi.

Chilima said on Monday wrapping up his northern region tour where he addressed a number of UTM party rallies and people in Dwangwa, Nkhotakota turned up massively for his last whistle stop tour.

Throughout his tour, Chilima had consistent messages to the people who turned up to listen to him and other UTM officials.

He said there is need to turn the natural wealth of this country to meet the social-economic challenges of the poor masses.

On Sunday at Mpamba, Nkhata Bay Boma and Chintheche, Chilima said the country is underutilising Lake Malawi which has the potential to boost the economy if there was good leadership.

“By now, we should have had more ships operating on the lake and not just MV Ilala,” said Chilima, an economist.

“We should have had more boats. Even fishermen should have been using motorised boats and not canoes. Using a canoe is hectic. By Now we should have been talking of manufacturing and assembling of boats here. That would translate into jobs which our young people are failing to secure,” said Chilima.

He said cheaper transport helps boost businesses and economy of a country and lamented that the country is in poor state when it has enjoyed peace for years.

Chilima pledged to ensure public resources are protected and used for the development of the country when he is elected President in the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections.

The UTM leader has been telling rallies and whistle stop tours that high on the agenda is to fight the rampant corruption which he said is eating up the fibre of the economy.

Chilima also said once voted into power, he would end the current trends of nepotism, cronyism, favouritism, arrogance and impunity in government.

“We will ensure that Malawi is a country of honey and milk, only one tribe or people from one region should not have an upper hand over other tribes and people from other regions. We are all equal, we are all Malawians,” he said.

Chilima also said as Head of State , he would end politics of intimidating, saying Malawi is a democracy and the ruling party zealots have no powers to intimidate others with dissenting views.

The UTM leader also reiterated that during his time as President, he would not allow women to dance for him, saying this culture of glorifying leaders is what is making others turn into semi gods and dictators.

“Dances are the integral part of our culture and tradition but this must not be used to glorify leaders, no. We can dance when we are happy, during some events but not dancing for our leaders,” he said.

He also said his administration would end the quota system of selecting students into public universities, describing it as evil.

Chilima also said the UTM led government would build decent houses for teachers, police officers and the Malawi Defence Force soldiers and give them a good salary on time.

The UTM leader accused the government of unnecessarily raising fuel prices in the country, saying this has forced prices of commodities and services to go up as well, hurting ordinary Malawians.

Chilima also said his administration would promote and find an international market the Kilombero rice which is mostly grown in Karonga.

He pronounced that Malawians embrace the third liberation movement by voting for change in 2019 polls as he recalled that the first liberation took place in 1964 from the colonial rule before the second one in 1994 when Malawi politics incorporated multiparty democracy.

Nkhatabay South legislator Emily Chinthu Phiri has since urged Chilima to create employment and bring factories if voted into power in the May 21 Tripartite Elections.