Malawi’s Mutharika acknowledges God’s omnipotence, in rain prayer call

President Peter Mutharika has acknowledged God’s omnipotence by appealing to faith leaders in the country to dedicate three days, starting Friday to Sunday, to prayers for good rains and bumper harvest.

Presidential spokesman Mgeme Kalilani said in a statement emailed to Nyasa Times that Mutharika is also calling on religious leaders to pray for protection of all people during the forthcoming festive season.

“The President is also calling upon the religious leaders to pray for the enemies of our land: hunger, disease and envy, so that we all live together in unity for the betterment of our country,” the State House statement reads.

The statement cited verses from the Holy Bible used by Christians and the Holy Quran for the Moslems.

In the Bible he quoted the book of James 5:18, New International Version (NIV): ‘‘Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops’’.

And; The Quran Mutharika quotes Surah 71:11-12: ‘‘He [Allah] will send down upon you the cloud, pouring down abundance of rain; and help you with wealth and sons. And make for you gardens, and make for you rivers’’.

The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (MET) has since predicted fairly widespread rainfall associated with locally heavy downpours over the country in the first week of this month.

“During the first week of December the main rain bearing system namely, the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is evident over Southern Tanzania and occasionally slides to the northern tip of  Malawi affecting  the northern parts of the country before getting fully established over Malawi either during the second or third week of December,” reads the statement issued by MET director Jolamu Nkhokwe.

He said during the period January to March 2017, the greater part of the country is expected to experience normal to above normal rainfall amounts.