Malawians can decide their future – Egypt ambassador
Malawi has been tipped by Egyptian Ambassador Maher El-Adawy to embark on a huge development programmes in a bid to reduce its reliance on aid, saying that no one, including those providing technical and financial support to the country, should be allowed to decide the future of Malawi.
The Egyptian Ambassador made the remarks when he addressed journalists in Lilongwe as part of celebrations to mark the third anniversary of Egypt’s June 30 2013 Resolution and the African Dream.
“Don’t let external forces influence or interfere with the internal politics of your country. Malawians should decide for themselves what is good for them,” said El-Adawy in the presence of Malawi’s Minister of Information, Communications Technology and Civic Education Patricia Kaliati was also in attendance.
He said Egypt has managed to surpass South Africa to become the second largest economy in Africa and is set to be among top 20 economies in the world because it decided its own destiny three years ago in a revolution,
“Today, Egypt is committed to helping other African countries to achieve their dream without attaching strings to its assistance,” he said.
El-Adawy disclosed that Egypt is committed to invest in a number of areas in Malawi, including health, agriculture and information and communication technology “to enable the country to achieve its dream.”
He said: “ Egyptians do not believe in giving fish; rather, we believe in teaching people how to fish.”
The Egyptian ambassador said he was not undermining the role of aid, but said it is vital to move from aid to trade and investment.
The June 30 2013 Revolution climaxed into the toppling of Muslim Brotherhood-sponsored President Mohammed Morsi.
The commemoration of the revolution will culminate into events marking the second Egyptian cultural week in Malawi on 18-25 July 2016 and the celebration of the national day of Egypt on 21 July 2016.
El-Adawy said “after the Arab-spring Egypt neighbours have struggled while Egypt stood out because the people knew what they wanted and did not allow to be dictated by the west”.
“The revolution taught us to do what we wanted and not be dictated on by outsiders. Self-dependence a strong will of the people and no conditions attached to donor aid enabled us to recover and now become Africa’s largest growing economy according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).”
“Similarly, Malawi can move forward if the citizens are united for a common goal to develop the country” he added.
Quoting Egypt’s example, El- Adawy urged Malawians not to allow people from outside not to interfere with Malawi’s internal affairs.
He further added that the media has an important role in promoting unity of the country by writing stories that promoting unity and national development.
Kaliati in her remarks called on Malawians to embrace President Peter Mutharika’s three pillars of patriotism, integrity and hard work.
She said the government is working on strategies that are geared towards tackling poverty by getting people into work and helping them to feed themselves.
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This Ambassador has nothing to offer in his words. His government, Egypt is still receiving technical and material support in form of military equipment from the US government. So, it is unfair to tell Malawi not rely on foreign assistance when his government is doing exactly that- that’s hypocrisy. By telling Malawians what he said he is actually contradicting himself. Malawians know their destiny better than Ambassadors. Egypt is not a democratic country after all. The incumbent President used his military power to bulldoze his way to the position by arresting a democratically elected Moss.
Egypt is receiving aid from the USA not because it is poor, but because of America’s interests there. Egypt can do without American aid.
gogodasi Egypt is far better than Malawi, We need to learn to be out of the colonial rule and rely on ou Malawi nzeru zakozo sungatukuke