Goodall silences critics, lashes out at Malawi ruling People’s Party
Malawi’s former Economic Planning and Development Minister, Goodall Gondwe, has proved wrong his critics who have been spreading rumours that his recent political silence meant he had dumped Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Gondwe surprised his detractors when he, alongside DPP President, Peter Mutharika, stormed several parts of Mzimba District to conduct political rallies.
The former minister and International Monetary Fund (IMF) vice-president has been quiet since resigning from his position in March this year after being charged with treason alongside 11 other senior DPP officials including former Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet, Bright Msaka.
Speaking at Enguweni in his Mzimba North Constituency, Gondwe condemned the PP government for turning the country into food insecure just under two years of its reign.
The DPP senior member said Malawians demand answers from the Joyce Banda administration as to why the country is facing acute food shortage when it used to be a food basket during the last eight years.
“Malawians would like to know why the country has suddenly slipped back from a food basket into a begging nation. Late President Bingu wa Mutharika demonstrated that Malawi could eradicate hunger within than two years but after his death, just a few months ago, we are facing serious food shortage,” said Gondwe in his deep and fluent Tumbuka.
He then warned the Peoples Party against botching up the Fertilizer Subsidy Programme arguing ending it would mean going back to the dark days when Malawians used to eat maize bran and wild tubers.
The retired World Bank economist also bemoaned the growing cases of insecurity which he observed was making the country unfavourable for both local and foreign investment which impact negatively on the social economic development of.
“People are worried with the recent security lapse that has led to increased crime rate in the country. This is negatively impacting on a number of economic activities as investors, both local and foreign, are scared to invest their money,” observed Gondwe, credited with transforming Malawi’s economy between 2004 and 2009 during late
Mutharika’s first reign.
The DPP presidential candidate is on a seven-day whistle-stop tour of some parts of the Northern and Central Regions which started on Monday to woo voters ahead of next year’s tripartite elections.
