Mutharika assures Malawians in UK to sort out dual citizenship
President Prof. Peter Mutharika on Sunday assured Malawians living in United Kingdom (UK) that his government would soon sort out the issue of visa and dual citizenship for Malawians living in diaspora.
He was responding to challenges which the Malawians based in UK presented when they met him at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London.
Among other problems presented, the UK-based Malawians said they face problems when visiting their home country with children as they have to get visas for them because they are considered as UK citizens.
They said it was difficult for them to obtain a Malawi Passport while in diaspora, therefore asked the Malawi government to consider the possibility of dual citizenship for foreign-based Malawians, especially those living in UK.
“We are working on the issue of dual citizenship, the cabinet approved the proposal and the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs is working on it,” Mutharika told them.
The Malawians, who came from areas of health, law, education and business among others, said would want to participate in social economic development of the country by investing in the home country but fail because they are taken as foreigners once in Malawi.
“We invest millions in other countries which are not our homes. We would like to invest in our home country and contribute to the country’s development,” a Malawian of Asian origin Salim Yusufu Lorgat said.
Mutharika explained programmes government is implementing in irrigation, road infrastructure, health and skills development for Malawian youth, saying there are several opportunities the Malawians based in UK and other countries could exploit and invest in the country.
He informed them of the country’s nationals of strides to improve the economy, saying there are several indicators to that effect; one of them being that fuel price has not risen for two years running now.
The President advised them to get reliable information about the country for them to have a good picture and speak positively about it.
Mutharika observed that sometimes they get information from social media which is misleading.
“It is important to speak positively about your country,” Mutharika stated.
Chairperson for Malawi Association in UK, Hannington Gondwe expressed gratitude for the President’s response to their issues.
He said they were relieved that the president pledged to deal with the dual citizenship issue to enable them participate in the social economic development of the country.
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Ndemwati malawian of indian origin heti? Munagulitsa nazo dziko izi. Kumangopatsa aliyense citizenship
I just feel BAD that the President chose to politicise his visit to UK by meeting the so called Malawians DPP UK wing members. As a president I would have expected him to have a neutral stand on his visit and if necessary organise one political visit to meet his 12 member DPP UK Wing. There was no need to politicise the visit as others outside DPP party may feel their issues will be overlooked.
Remember he’s being advised by sharks/zimbalangondo with very narrow interests. These sharks are afraid that non-DPP members (in the UK) would tell the president the truth. We have a president that is ill-advised even with for such visits. For heavens sake, he is the president of Malawi and not just DPP. This is why Callista is telling Malawians that we have a sitting president whose brain is on holiday aor retirement. There are a few people running the country and these people happen to be sharks and zimbalangondo.
dont sell our country for handful of Malawian who are not benefiting our country.
banjoes, this is why Malawi will continue to be an economically backward country in Africa. It seems most Malawians can’t see beyond their belly buttons. Just to give you an example of how Malawi can leverage on the diaspora. There are approximately 4 million Malawians in diaspora and if all of them were encouraged to spare a few Kwachas every month, to invest in their home country, you’d have an investment flow much more than the current FDI. An average contribution of MK10,000 each month wouldl yield MK40 billion pm (MK480 billion/US$660 million each year). However, in order to get the initiative off the ground, the president has to convince the diaporians that Malawi is good for investment. Most African countries have successfully adopted this concept and proven viable. Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan and most recently, Zambia, have successfully raised billion of dollars for funding in energy, transport, agriculture, ICT and education. Malawi can do it. Unfortunately with people like you benjones, endowed with unquestionable brains, we will certainly not be able get there.
@DzukaniAmalawi: 4 Million! That many people of Malawi origin in diaspora? Where is that number from? You realize that is about twenty percent of the population? Please advise.
When we push our ideas, the statistics had better be accurate, for the sake of credibility.
Notwithstanding, I support the thrust of your argument regarding the potential for benefits from Malawi offering dual citizenship.
Its public record. Do some research and google
These guys have nothing to invest,they struggle to pay council tax,Tv tax.The children they are talking about are on child support.. Miserable bunch of guys,these are the guys shipping to Malawi cockroach infested second hand kitchen ware ,no wonder we have a new breed of English cockroaches .Osamanama guys ,,even if you get dual citizenship(nationality) it will not change your circumstances those with money are already investing in Malawi and also in diaspora ,ma excuse basi..
Mario Pei, have you seen how Indians and Chinese look in diaspora? If you go to Dubai or Europe and meet with Indians and Pakistanis you’ll be facing people in rugs and yet they support their respective countries with billions of dollar every years through meagre repatriations. This is a game of numbers or economics which you may not even understand. It is for this reason that Malawi will continue to be an economically backward country in Africa. It seems most Malawians can’t see beyond their belly buttons. Just to give you an example of how Malawi can leverage on the diaspora. There are approximately 4 million Malawians in diaspora and if all of them were encouraged to spare a few Kwachas every month, to invest in their home country, you’d have an investment flow much more than the current FDI. An average contribution of MK10,000 each month wouldl yield MK40 billion pm (MK480 billion/US$660 million each year). However, in order to get the initiative off the ground, the president has to convince the diaporians that Malawi is good for investment. Most African countries have successfully adopted this concept and proven viable. Zimbabwe, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan and most recently, Zambia, have successfully raised billion of dollars for funding in energy, transport, agriculture, ICT and education. Malawi can do it. Unfortunately with people like you Mario Pei, endowed with unquestionable brains, we will certainly not be able get there.
Those are DPP members in UK??? Osakwecheka bwanji? Kulibe sopo wasambila kumeneko? They look like achokera ku Thyolo bwanji? We’re they under duress? They look like they were forced to be there kkkkkkkkkkkk
With the current state of affairs in our country i.e. weak governance institurions, coupled by our weak trading position on the global stage, dual citizenship will never benefit the country. In fact it would only work to perpetuate the dissipation of wealth to other countries by “investors” holding dual citizenship.
Akakhala anawo they are allowed dual ciyizenship up to the age of 18. After that one has to make a firm choice on their citizenship
DIASPORA WAS IN THOSE DAYS
WHEN THEY COULD SPEAK OUT
CONCERNS OF THEIR BELOVED MOTHER
MALAWI
NOW WE HAVE FIELD MARSHALS POSING AS DIASPORA WHILE THEY ARE THOSE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THESE CROOKS /MAFIAS AND FIELD MARSHALS
MAKING HONEY MOONS IN ABROAD USING OUR TAXES FROM EMBASSIES WHILE WE THE YOUTHS AND THE LESS PRIVILEGED
ARE SUFFERING HERE AT HOME
SO PATHETIC INDEED MAY GOD
HAVE MERCIES ON US ALL !!
I can see a few faces of illegal immigrants on these photos, does APM know that you are living in the UK illegally?
DPP UK wing of illegals, an embarrassment to our country, muyalukatu akakupangani deport, APM can not help you……stop exposing yourself on these opportunistic photos…
Padzadza a nsasamba. Invest chani momwe mukuonekeramo 😂
Surely, APM can ask Malawians in diaspora to love and respect their original country. But many of them would retort to him “But what have you done for me lately, not what are you going to do for me in future, as promises are meaningless in Malawi”?
It should be obvious to APM, having lived in diaspora himself, that even if this citizenship issue is not be a priority to those of us who are (local) Malawians at this juncture, it is a very big deal to those who were Malawians in the past, but now are legally considered foreigners. In spite of this, many of these “foreigners” still send money to help their relatives regarding famine(s), education, health etc.
These “foreigners” could be a gold mine, by Malawi standards; as they are a great potential regarding real estate development, for example, especially in Blantyre-Limbe, Lilongwe and Mzuzu. Many of these people are probably capable of building very good houses, in these cities, to live in and entertain during vacations or even in retirement. Malawi has nothing to lose in this situation, to be sure.
Is the plan slowed down by politicians, who have their own mistrust of “diasporans”, or is the inertia by the bureaucracy because there is nobody to pay bribes right there and then? Or even in future, when it comes to get the passports (more than loud noise would be made if bribes were demanded)? These foreigners know and would insist on their rights.
Where is the urgency, Mr President? Show us results, not just cheap talk?
Koma a president awa. Everything kwa iwo is soon. Kaya soon wawo adzafika liti? Four years now nkhani imeneyi…. Mavuto.
Amenewa Malawians in UK kapena DPP UK wing? Musatitayisepo nthawi. Koma ndiye kuchikonda chipani, nsalu ya blue ya chimanga mpaka ku UK wo!
Mr President, tell me one positive thing that I can proudly talk about. I don’t get my information from social media! I get first hand info from my family at grassroots who are feeling the effects of your failed governance Sir!
. My family who have to walk long distances in the scorcing sun to get to a medical clinic just to be told there are no drugs
. My family who can’t afford to send their kids to school because they can’t afford school fees
. My family who till today have no running water and still use out houses
. My family some of whom live in the city but drink fecal contaminated water
.My family who are subjected to perpetual electricity blackouts and water shortages
.my family and friends who tell me that misuse of public resources/funds is at an all time high by people in your administration right under you nose and yet you turn the other way!.
It’s not from social media Sir, it’s real it’s raw data, so please don’t fool us that things are okay in my beloved country, you need to wake up and smell the coffee!
Seperate problems caaused by personal stupidity and those directly inflicted by government failure. People keep on saying government should do his, oh it can’t do that. What have you done? Some of these problems are self-inflicted. Too many chldren who one cannot feed, send to school …
Like every project and commitment that DPP has made, there hasn’t been any sense of urgency. The world around us is moving at a dizzying speed and we are just relaxed eating msima. The Minisiter of Justice & Constitutional Affairs is fast asleep on the job and I bet my last Kwacha, he hasn’t even drafted the paper. Why would such an important key legislation take 4 years to be passed. This was one of the campaign promises.
Kikikikiki, promises, promises and after all, who would like to invest in Malawi amongst these faces??????
The president as an American citizen… If he came stated that publicly then I think he would get the best support for this initiative. He needs to change it so we can gave the option to have dual-citizenship!
What is a priority, dual citizenship, power or dealing with these people murdering our brothers and sisters with albinoisim once and for all?
Can we at times show we are serious. We currently have a state of affairs which can be called masanje. It is no longer funny.
DPP UK wing? These are DPP Cadets in UK! Fellow Malawians critical of Chaponda, be careful with these faces.
You mean these guys posing with ths president are i UK? How pathetic they look. I now believe poverty is in mind. They look as if they are coming from a bush republic
kikiki…headless chickens!
They look swell and well fed to me. Jealous down. Show me your picture and that of your family.
I give up……………………………………………………………………………………
Why are you obsessed with looks Jeffrey. I know of a lot of rich Indians, Pakistanis and Ethiopians who look like beggars but have loads of money to feed the whole country. People with poor minds are those that are obsessed with looks and show off. Those who have money have no time for show off and are therefore moderate in their behaviour. It is this show off mentality that has dragged the whole continent behind. It is for this reason that Africans and Malawians in particular, don’t save because apparently no one will see their “savings balance”. This is the mental;its of the poor at its best. Decolonise your mind Jeffery. The people in the UK are at least brave enough to travel and experience a first world because they dont tolerate living in a slam like Malawi. You, on the other hand, are trapped in poverty with no exposure to Malawi can be. These people in diaspora can mobilise billions of dollars with ease if they were to work together and thats what we need to encourage them to. To be patriotic and invest in their home country.