Malawians Cry For “A Vitumbiko Mumba Response” As Sugar Prices Soar Past K5,000

Mzuzu is boiling with frustration as the price of sugar — Malawi’s most basic household staple — has now shot past K5,000 per kilogram, leaving families shocked, helpless and angry. Many residents are openly wondering why government is watching from the terraces while prices skyrocket.

And in the middle of the public anger, one name keeps coming up: Vitumbiko Mumba. The former Trade and Industry Minister who, whenever prices spiked, moved fast, spoke strongly and cracked down on companies tampering with the cost of living. Malawians remember how he would rush onto the ground, meet producers, demand answers, and reverse unjustified price hikes. Today, they say the silence is deafening.

“How are we expected to survive?” — Resident breaks down situation. Kennedy Mussa, a resident of Mzuzu, told Nyasatimes that the situation is now unbearable.

“Sugar is over K5,000. This is too much. Many of us can no longer afford it. We are suffering,” he said, noting that the economy has already pushed citizens to breaking point.

Mussa wants government to intervene immediately, just like Mumba used to, and regulate basic commodity prices before life becomes completely unmanageable.

Economist Abel Mwenibanda says sugar price hikes are illogical and unacceptable. He wants government to urgently investigate what is really happening: “This is a locally produced product. There is no excuse for these increases unless something is seriously wrong. Government must find the root cause — quickly.”

A nation now asking hard questions: Why is sugar produced right here at home suddenly costing more than it does in some countries that import it? Why is government quiet?

Where is the rapid-response leadership Malawians once saw under Vitumbiko Mumba — the type that walked into factories, confronted monopolies, and stopped exploitation in its tracks?

When a locally produced item becomes unaffordable, it means the entire economic chain is cracking — from factory to consumer.

The message from Mzuzu to Capital Hill is clear: Do something — and do it now — before Malawians return to the days when basic items became a luxury.

 

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