COMESA celebrates Mutharika birthday: Malawi leader to speak on digital economy and the youth
Malawian President Peter Mutharika got a pleasant surprise at the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Heads of State and Government Summit when the Secretariat announced the President’s birthday and presented him with flowers.
The COMESA delegates instinctively stood in ovation, applauding the Malawi President with hand-clapping. Twenty-one African countries were present.
Mutharika’s birthday coincides with with Nelson Mandela’s, another great statesman of Africa.
In his response, President Mutharika said, “I have been surprised. I forgot this is my birthday.”
Mutharika turns 78 on this day of 18th July 2018.
He left the country on Wednesday morning through Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe and he is expected to address the summit on digitization and youth financial integration.
“I will give two key note addresses focusing on digital economy and integrating the youth in financial management and how it can help in eradicating poverty in COMESA region,” Mutharika said.
The President will address the summit on these issues as champion of youth welfare both at the local and international stage.
The theme for this year’s summit meeting is “COMESA: Towards Digital Economic integration”.
The theme intends to highlight the prevailing focus on fully digitizing the COMESA Free Trade Area business processes under the digital Free Trade Area (DFTA) initiative, which will incorporate e-Commerce, e-Legislation and e-logistics.
The drive towards digital integration was introduced after an agreement made during the COMESA Council of Ministers committee meeting held in the same city of Lusaka, Zambia in November last year.
The 20th COMESA summit is set to make history with its membership poised to rise from 19 to 21 as Somalia and Tunisia become new members after fulfilling terms and conditions of accession to the body’s treaty. The joining of the two will make the bloc the largest regional economic community in Africa.
The summit is also expected to appoint a new Secretary General to take over from Sindiso Ngwenya, a Zimbabwean economist and transportation expert whose tenure is coming to an end.
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Digital Economy is probably one of the most relevant topic right now especially as it relates to Malawi which is pregnant with opportunities to leapfrog western countries. Bwana, this means that you need prepare the youth in the rural areas to this digital economy otherwise they will be forever excluded from and not participate in the mainstream economy; therefore remain poor until they die. Mr president, this means that you need to start investing in the classroom of the future with internet access and R&D Laboratory. Get the youth connect with the rest of world and share ideas to push Malawi forward. Get the youth to design equipment to modernise agriculture sector including drones that can monitor crops, or any crop-attacking pests. Let them design systems that enables automatic harvest of the crops using modern technologically-advanced combine harvesters to maximise yields. Get them to design automated irrigation systems that also monitors soil moisture content for efficient use of much needed water. Mr president get the to design financial system that talks to the poor and the young in the village and townships right from the palms (smartphones) to encourage entrepreneurship and saving culture. a young Kondwani or rural old Mr Mpezeni from Ngabu in Nsanje or Rumphi should be able to access funds for capital to start their vending business and order goods from a smartphone for delivery by a truck anywhere in the country. This is a digital economy that empowers the youth and old in the rural and urban areas. That’s what the digital economy should create…….an inclusive economy. This is only possible if the government invests in the right education with relevant curriculum that focuses on critical thinking and problem solving skills vs rot learning (which is currently the case). Plug into the US, UK, China and India curriculum and review our current curriculum for relevancy. These are the kind debates you should be having with your MPs and cabinet ministers; creating a generation of tomorrow. It will be the best legacy you can leave behind Mr President Sir. Unfortunately these things don’t come on their own you need to work on them with people that understand your vision and dreams for the country. The people you have around you are no match to the digital economy model that you’re envisaging for your young people/generation. Secondly, you’re sitting with people who are damn lazy to think let alone work; they would rather clock allowances where possible rather work for it. I wouldn’t be surprised if any of your cabinet ministers are unable to explain what a digital economy is all about and Malawi should prepare or gear for it. If you think I am lying then please bwana, try give them the assignment before you deliver the speech. At best they will purge material already available on the net and at worst they will deliver an incorrigible material thats useless for Malawi application. sir, you have a major problem with your cabinet and MPs. They know nothing!!! I don’t think you’d want to leave a legacy of failure…….the worst president in the history of Malawi who single-handedly destroyed a nation and an entire future generation. You’re much smarter than that and you have a reputation to protect especially to your kids and grandchildren.
So at 78 he has started forgetting even his birth day? Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Is he remembering he is in Zambia on duty on behalf of Malawians? Is he remembering the issues from CSOs? Shall he remeber at 80? Nde nkunenenlanso mugulu, amvekere I forgot this is my birth day!! Koma kumenekooooooooooooooooooooooo!! DPP woyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Ukavala mandala akuda chilichonse muchiona chakuda. Bravo COMESA you have taught Malawi a good lesson. Happy birthday apulezidenti. Stay blessed.
Mbava zikuweva mbava yayikulu.
Chappe! Wakuuza kuti APM is at par ndi Mandela ndi ndani?
Happy birth day big man, Long Live and God bless you Sir
If a man can forget his birthday, what does that tell you. Does she want to tell us that even his wife did not say anything about his message, not even his children not even those in the party said anything only to know that it was his birthday in Lusaka. Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire.
Mutharika is a hero and states man just like Nelson Mandela. The problem is that Malawians are full of jealousy. Look at what has happened to the son of Malawi being remembered by Comesa leaders and yet back home mwano wokhawokha anthu kwa mtsogoleri wao. Malawians will never prosper no matter how many leaders we bring in through the ballot.
Koma a mulopwana ndiye mwaonjeza……mpaka a hero like Mandela, zoona. Freedom of speech allows citizen to say and write what is in their heads without being censored or locked up. as much as we understand your opinions please do also understand where those that disagree with you come from. Its a free country Mulopwana. Remember that we all have different perspectives and realities and it all depends on how we were raised, the circumstances under which we grew up, our culture and traditions and most of all exposure. What you may regard as development may not necessary be the same with most of us. The rest of the world may think that Malawi is probably the most backward country in the world as measured by some global stats and yet we may have Mulopwana who is entirely happy with what he/she has….good for you! Most of us don’t see it that way and respect our opinion. Possibly you’re still in the shackles and chains of suffering and you’re so used to it that you’d know that you’re poor and unexposed to the “other” world. However, both you and I have been given life to live on this earth and will all die at some point. The question will then be “did we live our lives to the full and to the benefit of humankind we have left behind?”. Musova ife tilibe pulobulemu.
Who is acting president? Goodall? Or Gentrude? These two stand between police and army chiefs
HOW COME TUNISIA IN COMESA?????
APM’s birthday ‘coincides with Nelson Mandela’s, another great African leader’. So APM is a great African leader on a par with Nelson Mandela? I think not!
Suck it up chambe, get real or go die.
Suck it up Chappe, get real or go die, noone gives a shit about how you feel or think about our president. Ali pa mpando akulamulira ndipo enanu ndi otsutsa. Ma ulosi omwe mukuchita kuti chaka cha mawa agwa kuthekanso okugwa kukhala inu kumangokhalirakhalirabe kukhala otsutsa.
Kodi timkamva kuti anaaaaagwatu, nde mwayambanso kulosa kuti agwanso!! Chifukwa chani mumathamangila kulusaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa? pathfinder I am sure ndiwe