CSOs attack Mutharika over Malawi economy: Stop sleepwalking, fix or ‘rig’ it!

Malawi Civil Society Organisations (CSO’s) have undermined President Peter Mutharika economic credentials, calling him to fix the country’s ailing economy.

The CSOs include Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), Human Rights Defenders Forum, Centre for the Development of People (Cedep), Civil and Political Space Platform as well as human rights activists Martha Kwataine and Billy Mayaya.

Reading the statement to journalists on behalf of the grouping, Timothy Mtambo of CHRR, and activist Billy Mayaya appealed to Mutharika to fix the economy, saying Malawians are going through rough times.

“It is clear that Malawians are going through tough times as goods and services are extremely difficult to acquire,” said Mayaya, the blame lies squarely and fairly with Mutharika who is the leader, they argued.

The accuse Mutharika of boasting on working to the country’s economic growth but his actions betray him.

“While we appreciate that part of the problem is the cashgate scandal, the current leadership is manifestly using cashgate as a shield or excuse from undertaking efforts to revamp the economy and restore the confidence of Malawians in the public goods and services. To date, the level of debt has doubled the pre-HIPC era of 2002.”

Adding that: “The population of ultra-poor Malawians has also increased, and so has the economic growth declined. These are some of the realities that should pre-occupy any responsible leader.”

The CSOs have since asked Mutharika to reduce his motorcade in this economic crisis period.

“Instead of meaningfully promoting fiscal discipline in the management of scarce revenue, the Presidency is maintaining a huge motorcade. While the President has a balloon motorcade, the Vice President has a motorcade of not less than 10 vehicles. This is unjustified extravagance and must be desisted.

“The implication of the present realities is that Government is not only pushing more accountability to the future generation to settle the skyrocketing debt but also that it is spending that which belongs to the future generation.”

The CSOs accused the leadership for failing to demonstrate the good intentions of the proclaimed reforms and condemned the Mutharika leadership style.

“We would want to see the President walk with all Malawians in tightening his belts as well as a consequence of the prevailing economic situation,” read the statement in part.

The CSOs also asked Mutharika to fix myriad of problems which Malawians are going through such as water and electricity problems.

Mutharika has been accusing his critics for failing to offer workable, thought-through solutions.

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