Mixed views on splashing K300m for Malawi 51st Independence celebrations
There has been mixed reactions to this year’s Independence Day, with analysts and social commentators giving different views on K300 million budget for independence celebrations scheduled to take place at the Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre on 6 July 2015.
Most people interviewed by Nyasa Times and also those commenting on Capital FM radio’s Newstalk phone-in programme on Monday June 29, 2015 expressed reservations, saying Malawians – half of whom live below the poverty line – cannot be expected to celebrate independence when they lack access to resources .
While others supported the move to splash millions in marking the day as an important to r celebrate independence from Britain.
Those against the celebrations argued that independence is meaningless when lives of ordinary Malawians have not improved and the nation remains one of the impoverished in the world.
“Corruption and breakdown of basic services such as water, electricity, food and medication make a mockery of our independence because this is what the struggle was all about,” pointed out 63-year-old Martin Mauka.
Mauka said while he was proud that Malawi is an independent nation, it must be reflecting the freedom through the bottom line accrued benefits of jobs, lack of poverty, access to affordable health, the elderly being paid for their years of hard work and putting priorities accordingly, investing in science and new technologies for efficiency in solutions to the nation.
Many others said majority of Malawians still hope for a real encounter with honey and milk to appreciate independence.
A 25-year-old Agnes Kasi said independence had not brought prosperity for most Malawians.
“Why should we celebrate 50 years of independence if the majority of us are still poor and barely survive?” she said.
“It’s meaningless to celebrate when all we need are jobs and economic empowerment. This country needs leaders who can develop it to end this poverty,” Kasi added.
Malawians said chronic underdevelopment and heavy reliance on foreign aid had locked them into a new form of economic bondage.
Successive leaders, including independence hero Kamuzu Banda who ruled for three decades before losing the first democratic poll in 1994, have failed to grow the agriculture-based economy.
Chair for the main organising committee for this year’s Independence Celebrations, Finance Minister Goodall Gondwe said government has allocated K300 million for independence day “because we would like to cater for various necessities as a number of people will be travelling from Lilongwe to Blantyre to attend the activity.”
He further added that this year’s event will be commemorated under the theme ‘Towards Economic Transformation in Malawi for Inclusive Development’.
According to Gondwe, the theme has been chosen to reflect on the need to involve everyone in every activity happening in the country to change Malawi’s economic situation.
He then expressed optimism that through the theme, Malawi, at 51, is likely to economically transform in all aspects of development.
Gondwe added that currently all the preparations regarding the event are at an advanced stage and that the country is expected to host foreign dignitaries.
“We are expecting to have foreign delegates, although it is too soon to indicate where the delegate will come from,” said Gondwe.
Malawi celebrates Independence Day on July 6 every year and the event is normally spiced up by various activities which include military displays.
The landlocked southern African nation of 15 million people, whose economy is largely based on agriculture, relied on international aid for 40 percent of its budget before the donor freeze following cashgate corruption scandal dating back from 2005.
President Peter Mutharika — whose brother and former president Bingu wa Mutharika died in office in 2012 — has pledged to reach beyond traditional Western donors to find “new friends” in China and Russia.
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Sasangalala kapena kukondwera pamene munthu wuli mumabvuto. A Malawi akubvutika kunjaku ma ambulance sakuyenda kamba ka mafuta pomwe in muli busy kukonzekera chitsangalaro what a fool
In my house we were counted 5 last census then it means give me my 100 thousand nkagule matumba 10 achimanga ndisunge zozakhala pa mzere kudikila 10kg ndiukapolo womwe kuphwandoko am not going
Pofunika a mcp ndi pp ndi wena nonse okufuna kwa bwino musazapitek
MULUNGU Ngwa bwino
Musa
That’s too little ,vuto ndi kwacha ilibe mphavu imeneyo ma rand ndi 7.5million and u are lamenting, eeeee mavuto bwanji.
Masavage ambiri akuganiza kuti 300mita ndiyambiri. Akuyesa ndiyokonzekera ukwati osati national event. Koma abale sukulu ndiyofunika zedi.
Kasi apa mbwenu titenge vyalo vya kuwalo vitovwirenge nthena? Apa pakuyana waka ngati dada mulowevu uyo wakuwika kumwera phere ndalama panthazi kuluska kugulira wana chakulya pa nyumba. Kasi ka 300m tingagulako yayi ngoma kuti kuno ku mizi tisangeko chakulya? kweni wakuneneska kuti nyengo zinyake wanthu wanyake sukulu yikuwawowvira yayi. Nadi apa boma mbwenu lingaghanaghana yayi kuti malingana na masuzgo agho tili nagho tileke danga vya vikondwerero. Mbaya Mwe! Mama Malawi kulongozgeka na wanthu wambula mitu.
Lets divide K300,000,000 by 15,000,000 people. Each person will get K20. What are
we going to buy with the K20? May be jiggs. Let us use the money for celebrations becoz every Malawian will be invited to attend and watch free football match that does not worth K20. Billy Mayaya can you petition the govt. to increase the allocation. K20 is just too low.
Then devide 300 000 000 by 8000 000 it will be 37 .5 which can build 37+ school blocks..what about that
Remember Joyce Banda.this idiot of a president called peter doesn’t know what he is doing.very greedy and proud
300 million is not enough for national celebrations. Zimafunika kuzipepesako nthawi ina. Kodi bwanji a Malawi kudandaula. Ndalama izi ndichimozimozi ndizomwe Beckham anaononga pa birthday pa mwana wake pamene if its the nation of 15 million people.
Please use the money to buy maize for the hungry people who were affected by the heavy rains. People will love you and respect you for that.