Critics hit at Mutharika’s delusions of grandeur: Malawi President ‘out of sync with reality’
Social-political commentators have blasted President Peter Mutharika for bragging that the economy is robust, saying the Malawi leader is out of sync with reality of the nation which continues to face worsening poverty and rising costs of living.
Mutharika, who faces an election in May 2019, has said Malawi is a highly rated destination for investors because he has restored economic confidence and there is sound macroeconomic environment despite waning donor support.
The President said he inherited a gutted economy from the Joyce Banda administration but has now managed to boost the foreign reserves position to five months of import cover from one month that haunted his predecessor.
“ I took the badly damaged economy and now the economy has recovered. Inflation is at its lowest point in our history; interest rates are going down and the economy is growing. Our foreign currency reserves are at the highest in history,” said Mutharika on Monday.
Outspoken writer and social media activist Stanley Onjezani Kenani took to Facebook to question the credibility in Mutharika statements on economic data.
“Our President is detached from reality. Which economy has recovered? You think it’s enough to cook figures and deceive people that the economy has recovered? People are suffering in our villages,” wrote Kenani.
He challenged Mutharika on his claim that Malawi is preferred tourist destination.
The Geneva-based Kenani wrote: “Talking of tourists, each time I take a flight from Amsterdam to Arusha, I cannot help admiring. Of 450 passengers on the plane, maybe 400 are tourists, going to Serengeti, Kilimanjaro and other Tanzanian tourist attractions. Those in the know say that every day is like that. And yet our flights home are full of Malawians returning from attending conferences or holidaying abroad. On what basis can you say our country is a preferred tourist destination?”
Adding her voice Omega Malata wrote: “Which thriving economy? A good economy only being felt by the State House and DPP (ruling Democratic Progressive Party) cronies while the rest of Malawians live in poverty.”
Social and political activist Ben Chiza Mkandawire commented that Mutharika was not telling the truth and that his statement is full of delusions.
Mkandawre said President Mutharika is “suffering from serious delusions “.
He queried “who in their right mind would be standing at a podium proclaiming Malawi economy in recovery mode. Who?”
Mkandawire argue that Mutharika has mastered the art of self-delusion .
Another critic Loraine Masiya Mponela said if the success being touted by Mutharika is anything to go by, then US President Donald Trump “must remove Malawi from the shithole list.”
Journalist and columnist Idriss Ali Nassah noted that Mutharika doesn’t write the speeches he delivers in public.
“Around him are people taking advantage of the fact that the President is old, is a drunk, is disconnected, is disinterested and is incompetent to make him read rubbish and fiction. These people making a fool of our president in such a manner are, frankly, criminals,” Nassah wrote.
Opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera is on record to have described failure by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration to translate policy documents into meaningful developments as cheating Malawians who believed the government would deliver on its promises.
Mutharika’s administration was also dogged by several corruption scandals and accused of government persecution of opposition political parties through physical and prosecutorial intimidation.
President Mutharika also faced accusations of nepotism. He denied those charges.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
shithole country with a shithole pressident!
I think this one is obvious. With so many problems malawi has one cannot simply pick at ones successes without being publicly scrutinized. Solve one problem and move one and don’t gloat about it, instead let the papers show the evidence of good work, Koma apparently a large segment of the malawian political sphere is so incompetent that we would simply not hope even for that. I mean if these people are Lerner ed people one would expect effectiveness, maybe I should take back the statement about the papers showing the evidence of good work.
We all know that things are not ok in Malawi and it is sarcastic for a president to stand on the podium and start talking the opposite. Ichichi ndi chipongwe kwa mtundu wa anthu omwe akuona zovutazo. We all know that the president doesn’t pay tax and that he is fed by the people through their tax. It is bad to mock the same people who are forced to pay tax through their noses by telling them that things are right. No!!! Mr President things are not right. A president dzuwa salozelana chifukwa aliyense amaliona yekha. We are struggling to… Read more »
Thats very true the old man is being fooled and fooling himself,
Journalist and columnist Idriss Ali Nassah noted that Mutharika doesn’t write the speeches he delivers in public.
“Around him are people taking advantage of the fact that the President is old, is a drunk, is disconnected, is disinterested and is incompetent to make him read rubbish and fiction. These people making a fool of our president in such a manner are, frankly, criminals,” Nassah wrote.
If you know exact figures let us know pliz!!!!! Not arguing for the sake of politics and if you have nothing to offer keep quite, mukhala chomcho mmmmm too much nsanje,kaduka,look at the prices of groceries it’s over 8 months osakwera mtengo,fuel,maize is it not good for you to appreciate??? What do you want actually from Peter??? Let us know!!!
Our president is living in his own world full of fantasies! He has no clue of what leadership is all about. The fact that you see long queues in Shoprite does not mean the economy is good. Just go to Chileka, Lunzu or Thyolo you have a different view. People are in dire poverty with no hope for tomorrow! confidence is totally gone. Talking about tourism? As a country, Malawi is not ready yet! our hotels are too expensive for an average tourist who prefers an average $40 hotel room but with acceptable facilities. This is what South Africa, Lesotho,… Read more »
Critictics will always live a life of criticism – they can criticise anything so long they put their pen on paper one can never see their fruits. Many of them they have nothing to offer for the growth of the nation. They are nothing less than CONFUSIONISTS – they bring confusion in a free society and they ran away without bringing solutions – they are are like IDIOTS some calls them CORWARD FOOLS they are like empty TINS they cry lounder but they contain nothing inside. Sorry to say this but let’s learn to appreciate what our fellow friends are… Read more »
Nonsense comments. All I can see is bitterness from useless people who are bitter. Short people like Nasser are a waste of time. Guys who exaggerate their intelligence on issues they don’t understand. The language used to describe APM is reflection of stupidity and lack of intelligence.
Cooked figures. A fool for a president. Heading very fast towards a cliff. The end is nigh.
I thought Nyasa Times is talking about real critics; Onjezani Kenani anayamba wanenapo chabwino cha DPP or APM? Akakhala uyu Ben Chiza ndiye is just good for nothing….Anyway,why cant they bring their correct figures then?
u can say that again
The major indicator, in my thinking, that can make someone believe the economy is doing better is an improvement in the standard of living of the people. Are you able to see this in the majority of the people in the country? Anthu akuvutika mkulu, lowani mmadzimu mukaone baba. Vuto lake enanu mukuteteza mipando yanu, kapena yaabale anu. Or else you are so blind to see what is happening. Yes there are good things done by the president but many of the problems we are experiencing, if the president was exercising his powers, would not be experienced. This is our… Read more »
And how do measure that standard of living? Tell us.
Ngati unazolowera kunyera patchire, toilet ya flush ulibe nayo ntchito. Vuto lamps A malawife ndi lakuti ambirinu mudakulira mu umphawi ndiye simuona chachilendo kuti anthu ena azikhala pa umphawi. Ngati inu muli pabwino mumakwanitsa kulidyeatsa banja lanu tsiku ndi tsiku, nyumba ya makono yosadontha, mukadwala mamkhwala mukwanitsa kugula, ana anu a kuphunzira bwino, ndiponso ka khobidi mukusunga ukatha mwezi ndiye kuti imeneyo ndiyo standard imene munthu aliyense mu dziko la malawi ayenera kukhalira. Kodi zimenezi ndi reality ya nzika iliyonse Mudzikoli?