Chisi delivers public lecture at Chanco: Pledges 50 universities, 15 ministers
Opposition Umodzi Party (UP), led by Professor John Chisi, says it will open 50 universities across Malawi if voted into power next year.
The UP leader made the pledge when he gave a public lecture at Chancellor College (Chanco), a constituent college of the University of Malawi (Unima) in Zomba last Thursday.
A Unima lecturer at College of Medicine and Chanco alumnus, Chisi observed that Malawi needed more institutions of higher learning if the country was to develop.
Basing his lecture on the theme “The role of the youth in modern Malawi”, Chisi said: “To develop this country we need to provide intellectual empowerment to the youth and more institutions of higher learning are integral in this process.”
“My government will build 50 universities across the country,” he assured. He further said that apart from the new learning institutions, UP will construct new hostels at all five Unima colleges.
“Housing has become a big problem at Unima and once we are voted into government, the Malawi Housing Corporation will construct new hostels. Apart from that we will make sure that catering services are improved,” he said.
As UP has indicated it will introduce feudalism in Malawi, Chisi said such system of government would require a lot of skilled labour hence the need for more universities.
“We are going to go into the villages and empower the chiefs, who will require administrators, human resource managers, so after university these young people will be deployed to work with the chiefs to improve the lives of rural people,” said Chisi.
In its plans, UP is also expected to set up a National Development Bank (NDB), which according to its leadership will industrialize Malawi, hence creating employment for job-seeking Malawians including university graduates.
On another note, Chisi also spoke on the issues of national security, corruption and financial mismanagement.
On security, he stressed: “My government will appoint five Inspector Generals of Police, with each region of Malawi having its own IG.”
Asked by one of the students on how the country will manage five IGs as the country was going through economic challenges, Chisi said: “The UP government will have 15 cabinet ministers, not 40 as it is now and the rest of the money will be channelled to security.”
Mapopa Msopera president for Chanco Association of Young Politicians told Nyasa Times that it was high time for Malawian youth to start taking part in active politics, especially at decision-making level.
“Over the years, politicians have been manipulating us, painting us in different party colours, but now we say we’re not tools to be used for their selfish gains, we’re intellectual giants and we should be treated as such,” said Msopera.
He observed that politics was not a dirty game, but it was dirty because it was left in the hands of dirty people, saying “It’s time for change and with the spirit of Chanco, which is ‘fight until we win’, we will fight until change comes to Malawi.”
Besides the public lecture, the newly-established party also took time to launch the Chanco Umodzi Party Wing.
On a different note, UP has welcomed into the party 20 members who have defected from the ruling People’s Party (PP) as well as opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and United Democratic Front (UDF).
They are from Blantyre City South-East constituency and among them are Eunice Tebulo, former PP organizing secretary and former UDF constituency chairman, Joseph Chibade.
They cited Chisi’s development agenda as the main reason why they decided to quit their respective parties for UP.
Tebulo claimed Malawians were tired of recycled politicians who have failed to bring development to the grassroots, while Chibade described Chisi as a visionary leader, with his plans to establish the NDB to empower Malawians through loans.
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