Kabambe savages DPP economy ‘built on begging, borrowing and price hikes’
UTM Party president Dalitso Kabambe has unleashed a scathing broadside against Malawi’s governing Democratic Progressive Party, accusing it of running the country’s economy on nothing more than a toxic formula of price hikes, begging and borrowing.
The former central bank governor tore into the DPP’s handling of the economy, branding its strategy “Kwezani, Pemphani, Kabwelekeni” — Chichewa for raise it, beg for it, borrow it.
Kabambe, who once sat at the helm of the Reserve Bank of Malawi, didn’t mince his words as he accused the government of dodging Malawi’s deep-rooted economic problems in favour of quick fixes that hit ordinary citizens hardest.
“The DPP government is being run on three principles: Kwezani, Pemphani, Kabwelekeni,” he declared.
He rattled off example after example. Fuel running short? Hike the price. Water supply under strain? Hike the tariffs. Malawians under attack in xenophobic violence in South Africa? Go cap in hand and beg for help.
“This is how the DPP is running government,” Kabambe fumed.
The opposition heavyweight insisted Malawi needs a total overhaul of its economic direction — one built on production, investment and job creation, rather than squeezing citizens every time a crisis hits.
“A government must not always look at increasing prices whenever there is a problem,” he said. “It must find ways of producing more, creating wealth and protecting ordinary Malawians.”
Kabambe, once the country’s top monetary policy chief, said turning things around demands leadership capable of tackling foreign exchange shortages, runaway inflation, unemployment and shrinking household budgets head-on — not papering over them.
His attack lands as Malawians grow increasingly frustrated over the soaring cost of living, fuel shortages and crumbling access to basic services — and as political parties sharpen their knives ahead of the next election battle.
The DPP has previously defended its tough economic calls as necessary medicine to stabilise the economy and win back investor confidence after years of fiscal turmoil.
But Kabambe was having none of it, warning that the government’s approach is only piling more misery onto struggling families.
“Malawi cannot continue surviving by increasing prices, asking for help and borrowing,” he said. “We need to build an economy that creates opportunities and gives people hope.”
The DPP had not responded to Kabambe’s blistering attack at the time of publication.
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