Kapito, Mtambo rue Malawi ‘lost leadership’

Outspoken executive director of Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama) John Kapito differed has said the economic woes in the past year was squarely blamed on a “lost leadership.”

He described 2014 as a very difficult year for consumers.

“The year 2014 is one year consumers would like to forget quickly. The kwacha depreciated hugely, causing costs of living to be skyrocketing. Essential services such as water and electricity became unbearable for many a consumer; quality of education went down,” said Kapito in newspaper interview assessing President Peter Mutharika administration.

“Malawi as a country was absent, it was on holiday. The leadership, still celebrating victory of the elections, also went on holiday and in the power vacuum that followed, markets tumbled and the poor were punished hard. We hope 2015 will see the leadership coming out of holiday,” Kapito is quoted by The Nation.

Centre for Human Rights Rehabilitation (CHRR) executive director Timothy Mtambo concurred with Kapito and said Mutharika’s era has so far been characterised with more negatives than positives.

“I can see a leadership which is lost and lacking direction. The leadership appears to be a spectator as things unfold,” the paper quoted Mtambo.

Mtambo also bemoaned the security breakdown that saw daring robbers raiding Mudi House in Blantyre, the official residence of the Vice-President as well as the theft at the home of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining Minister Atupele Muluzi in Lilongwe’s Area 9.

The Public Affairs Committee (PAC) said the year had several hurdles in terms of political and economic governance.

PAC said the country has not sufficiently moved in a positive direction both politically and economically and we are yet to see what achievement will be realised in 2015.

“Malawi  will  not  change  if  we, ourselves,  are resisting  to change  our  habits  and  behaviour  which  affect  the  development of this country,” reads the statement consigned by PAC chairperson the Very Reverend Dr. Felix Chingota and PAC publicity secretary Father Peter Mulomole.

In a statement issued on December 31, the interfaith democracy watchdog said  the past year continued to reveal the deep-seated challenges  of  lack  of  transparency  and accountability  in  the  Malawi  society as corruption and fraud scandals were so rampant in most sectors of the economy.

Malawi government hope and wish for 2015 to be a productive year.