Joyce Banda accuses DPP of being ‘woefully’ out of touch with Malawi poverty
Malawi’s immediate past former president Joyce Banda, who is People’s Party (PP) torchbearer in next year’s elections has intesfied her engagement with the electorate, travelling the breadth and width of the country addressing rallies and has accusing the current Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration of being “woefully” out of touch with economic reality for people living in poverty.
Banda has been to Mzimba South Constituency on Friday where its legislator Maquenda Chunga has defected to United Transformation Movement (UTM) and also on Sunday she addressed a rally in Mangochi at St Augustine Primary School ground.
She told the two political rallies that if elected as president in next year’s election, she will have the willpower to fight poverty.
The former president, 68, said she cannot sit in the comfort of her home, while many Malawians out there struggle to afford even one meal a day and that she will continue building decent housesfor people in a country where three quarters of the people still live in grass-thatched houses.
She pledged to continue with Mudzi Transformation Programme by constructing or rehabilitating houses for the elderly and the disadvantaged across the country.
“I know how painful and pathetic it is to live in a grass-thatched house. I will always dedicate my life to helping the underprivileged move out of poverty,” said Banda.
She told her jubilant supporters that while she was Head of State from 2012 to 2014, her government made many social and economic development strides, particularly in economic empowerment of the rural masses.
Banda – only the second woman to lead a country in Africa – then announced that she would abolish the “selective” Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP) and introduce universal fertilizer subsidy programme so that every farmer benefits and therefore improve security at both household and national levels.
The former president said she has already identified funding for the implementation of universal fertilizer subsidy programme.
She said when she will roll back “people-centred social and economic policies” in order to take Malawians out of abject poverty.
Banda also pledged to improve the health and education sectors, saying she would ensure that teachers and health workers work in better conditions and that conducive learning and teaching environment is created in all education institutions at all levels.
The PP leader said education is an indispensable tool for the achievement of meaningful socio-economic development of any nation and hence her government shall give education special attention.
Malawi, one of the world’s poorest and aid-dependent countries, will hold presidential, parliamentary and council elections on 21 May 2019.
Banda founded the People’s Party (PP) in 2011 after splitting from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), which is led by President Peter Mutharika.
She came to power in 2012 when Bingu wa Mutharika, the current president’s brother, died in office.
Recently, President Peter Mutharika said his late brother Bingu told him he regretted picking Banda as her running mate.
But PP secretary general Ibrahim Matola said Banda is a flag carrier and a true ambassador of 50-50 campaign for women leadership being championed by civil society organizations and all other relevant stakeholders in the electoral matters.
Her downfall from power in 2014 elections came in part from the so-called “Cashgate” scandal, the biggest financial misconduct in the country’s history.
Banda says she did nothing wrong and that the allegations against her are politically motivated.
After she returned to the country in April, police said an arrest warrant against her was valid, but up to now she has been neither charged nor arrested.
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You short changed Mother Malawi masteni. CASHGATE happened under your watch and still hovers over you!
Because of the nature of my job I do crisscross the country a lot, I get to interact with people in the cities and in the remotest parts of Malawi, what I see and hear from these folks is totally different from people around you are telling you! You may need to regroup and strategize,……… Don’t say you were not warned!
You were out of touch with Malawians for the last years when you were inself imposed exile……yikes!
I totally agree Malawians need change from CASHGATERS, APUMBWA, NANDOLOGATERS, MATCHONA ( whether its 4 years or 40 years) etc etc we deserve better and I know change is coming!
Whatever good you claim to have done for this country was negated by CASHGATE and your fleeing the country for no reason into your self imposed lavish exile for four years, ……,,,,you lost us masteni, the tide has changed we have moved on Amayi
Koma miyendoyo ili bwinobwnino? Kodi avula nsapato pagulu?
Just asking!
Legit question.
And, not being cheeky apa.
Yoh komanso Bwana mumayang’anatu.
By going into self exile the wonderful president abandoned her claim on state leadership onto the DPP lap which manipulated the illiterate electorate. It was simple: A thief on the run and DPP began waving “a fictitious Interpol arrest warrant on her”, when you’re back our people felt it to swallow your claim your poor judgment lost you the presidential plot You’ve never been the Golda Meir Indira Gandhi nor Benezir Bhutto whose mettle rings loud their tenacity in all adversities stands out conspicuously today Malawians won’t embrace your noise
Perhaps we should stop measuring our national progress in economic terms. After all, we are much more successful in making little Malawians than lots of money. We should embrace the fact that we have managed to increase our population from a modest 4,728,000 in 1971 to the much more respectable 19,314,000 in 2018. During the same period, the Scots, with whom we are said to be in partnership, managed to raise their population by little more than 200,000, from 5,229,000 to 5,452,000. Clearly, we are not fulfilling our side of the partnership. We need to show these Scots how to raise their demographic profile, and also how to construct the grass-thatched houses, schools, and hospitals necessary to cater to the needs of a much larger population.
Former President Joyce Banda says that three-quarters of Malawians still live in grass-thatched houses, which means that one- quarter of us live in more substantial homes. One-quarter of our estimated current population is 4,828,500, which is more than the entire population of the country in 1971. This would have been a highly satisfactory outcome if our population had increased only at a similar rate to Scotland’s. However, as things stand, we must squeeze solace from the fact that we can enjoy plenty of company while we watch the rats dodging the drips from our leaky thatched roofs; and when the elephant in the room makes a meal of our thatch, we will have plenty of hands to help us replace it.
This woman should just save the money she stole and the other she wants to steal from donors for women in politics. I have been reliably informed that there is alot of money coming to support women in politics and this woman knows too well that that money will land in her hands because the donors still trust her.
Can you explain to Malawians why your son, who is your VP is seeking citizenship in the USA? Mukufuna mudzathawemso next year???
You are such an opportunist!……..when things got touch you ran away from us for years …….left us languishing here if you really cared you should have not left us , you should have been there for us, that is what servant leadership is all about
CASHGATE!
Madam banda, please start by humbling yourself and apologise to the nation for the atrocities and suffering you caused to Malawians (the effect of your maladministration are still being felt today). Until then, Malawians are not going to be that forgiving at the polls. You were out of touch (just like the other political leaders) with the ordinary poor people and yo chose to look the other way. Massive castigate happened under your watch even if you claim that you did something about it.
Amangwetu….looking at Abiti Kazhigeti’s legs, she needs to rest and nurse them. Why does the former first gentleman not duly advise her? Too much makani? No one in Malawi can vote for this female ‘stealer”.
UDF will come last while PP is expected to come 4th in position in the next year’s elections.
She is taking Malawians for granted. Does she have family members who can give her advice that its time for him to retire and give us breather.
She must give it’s people to utm
This woman needs to rest not going up and down.
I agree, she will just embarass herself when she gets 5th position after MCP, UTM, DPP, UDF in that order next year
KKKKKKKKK Memory you must have smoked something very strong when you came up with that order! Tidzakomananso pompano after may 21, ngakhale dzina langanso sindisintha and please lakonso usasinthe. Order yomwe wachitayo ikadzakhalira momwemo, i promise to give R2,000.
Will keep my name and get the R2000
Yaaaaas