Mutharika says life is improving for most Malawians: ‘Stand up to human rights violators’
President Peter Mutharika prides himself to be a democrat, saying the ground realities are strikingly different from the picture of doom and gloom that emerges from the media – social or mainstr
eam – as his administration has taken concrete steps to consolidate social, cultural and economic rights of the people.
The President said in a statement in commemorating the International Human Rights Day which falls on December 10.
“As a country, we have a duty to promote human dignity, equality and freedom. I am proud to say, in the last three years, we have made impressive progress in living up to our moral obligations and commitments to the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. No one doubts that Malawi is a democratic society. And I am proud to be a democrat,” said Mutharika.
He pointed out that recently Parliament passed laws that protect and promote human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and children. These include the Child Care Protection and Justice Act; prevention of Domestic Violence Act, Gender Equality Act; Marriage, Divorce and Family Relations Act; Disability Act, Access to Information Act and the newly passed HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Management) Act.
Mutharika said among other initiatives, his government is ensuring the people’s right to education and literacy levels have risen among Malawians.
“We have also made progress in improving the economy to improve the welfare of the people. Poverty is a violation of human rights because poverty takes away human dignity. Slowly, life is improving for most Malawians,” said Mutharika.
The Malawi leader said people’s housing is improving in rural areas and grass thatched houses are being phased out in most villages of the country.
Notably, he said, the mode of transport is changing in most rural communities as many people can now afford motorcycles as they migrate from the bicycle.
“Above all, Malawians have enough food,” said Mutharika.
The President said his government has also worked very hard in the area of civil and political rights.
“For instance, we have ensured that the media operates freely in order to adequately inform the people to enable them meaningfully participate in the public affairs. But whenever anyone, including the media, misinforms the people, it becomes a violation of the rights of the people. Everybody has the duty to inform the people rightly,” he said.
Mutharika encouraged Malawians to strive to balance and moderate their quest for rights and freedoms with duty and obligations to themselves, others and to the nation.
“The responsibility to safeguard the rights of our children, partners, neighbours and workmates rests with us all,” he said.
The President also said he has followed “disturbing reports” of violence caused by women on fellow women.
“This is very unfortunate and should never happen in a country with an impeccable human rights record like ours,” he said.
Mutharika said he is “delighted” to note that there are many Malawians who have dedicated themselves to the fight against gender based violence.
“My Government will endeavor all the way to create an atmosphere that is conducive to the promotion of human rights in Malawi. I am aware of the funding challenges facing the human rights sector. We are actively working towards resolving these challenges,” he pledged.
Mutharika urged Malawians to guarantee human rights and freedoms to all citizens, especially by standing up to all those who violate other people’s rights.
“To every Malawian, I say, let us all stand up for the rights of vulnerable people who cannot stand for their own rights. Let us all stand up for the poor, the elderly, the sick, children, persons with disability, persons with albinism, persons with HIV and AIDS, women and girls.
“Let us defend human rights. Let us report human rights violations. Let us be proud to be champions of human rights,” he said.
Human Rights Day is observed on Dec. 10. The day commemorates the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The UN and all UN members celebrate the day – first recognized in 1948, almost 70 years ago.
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This is a clear sign that we have a president who is insensitive and out of touch with the reality on the ground.
Mr. President. Sorry to say this but life is hell in Malawi even more worse for poor villagers they have no clue that to do. they are leaving a dead life. I would not be proud.
Koma mbuziyi mutu umagwira bwinobwino? Ataleka kumalankhula bwanji chifukwa zolankhula zake ndizonyogodola kwambiri kwa a Malawi. Mbuzi yamunthu.
I remember squatting with an old woman on a khonde, many, many years ago. We were watching the old men sitting in a circle under an enormous tree, passing the beer around. Sometimes their talk grew quite heated.
“The old men are making changes,” I said.
“The old men are making noises,” she replied.
Improving from what ????? Why is ths President soooooo out of touch with reality???? It’s pathetic you mean non of his advisors have
Enough sense to tell him the truth about the plight of Malawians?
Mutharika says life for most Malawians is improving, donors say corruption is increasing ……….. You go figure!
This is an insult to all Malawians Mr Clueless President!!!!!
That is the problem when you live in a bubble and has no clue of what is going outside his bubble,
Cant someone organize a cardiac arrest for this bluff of a president?
Guys iyi ndi Mbuzi ya munthu. Life has improved in what way??? Kodi anavotela munthu uyu guys ndi ndani akutipweteketsa a Malawi osalakwafe. This is waste president Malawi has ever had. Tionana 2019.
Iweyo ndi ahlomwe anzakowo
Malawi is DEFINITELY improving. Go into Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu etc.. and see how many people are enjoying with good salaries, eating good food, driving expensive cars, going to expensive hospitals and drinking and partying. Please, stop sensationalising poverty. In fact, most of us who are writing here are privieldged – we buy airtime and are using computers and mobile phones to read news and access social media. The people who are REALLY suffering in the villages do not have a platform to say how their life is not improving. That’s why it’s dishonest for previldged people whose extra money is spent buying airtime to be the ones complaining.
That is why it’s dishonest for privileged people whose extra money is spent buying airtime to tell the poor Malawians that their lives are improving.
Zoona bwana president, simukunama, life of DPP Ministers, cadets, dpp officials and state house staffs has improved to the maximum. Imene ikuimila 2% pa anthu 17000000. Koma Kwa ENA tonse amene ndife anthu wamba 98% kuchokera nsanje to chitipa mmmmm bwana ndiye tikuvutika ndi umphawi wadzaoneni, moti mukamadya masausage anuwo, muzidziwa kuti kuno tikusowa yogula soda oti tiphikile therere
Am from the South…koma this guy and his thievery friends mmandinyada kwambiri. Paujeni panu! You are very arrogant, manipulative, cheeky, inhumane!
You have no heart at all! Afiti inu. Paujeni panu. You use your learned intellectual for all the wrong motive! Chimkhope chonyansacho.
Which homes have you gone to get your marks on social life improvement? You have no remorse at all about the suffering majority – wicked people. I bet you, if malawians had gun access bwenzi ambirinu mutaphedwa.
” lives of most Malawians improving” says mutharika. Really and seriously?. Uku ndikulankhula mopusa kwambiri. And what is it that is behind the so called improvement if I may ask. I seriously have problems with this mutharika thing. This is an agro-based economy and that being the case what will make Malawians improve their socio-economic condition when they have no market for their produce ?. This is a country that thrive on SMEs , now mutharika tell me what will drive people’s economic improvement with 25 hrs of black out? With corruption so rampant what will drive people’s living condition to improve . This is what you have when you bafoons for leadership . Once again uku ndiye timati Kulankhula mopusa kwambiri. Levels of poverty in this country have reached dehumaning levels . People are poorer today than they were when mutharika become president. This is simple fact that we have to live with. But of coz DPP will not have any it .
Komatu aBambo awa ndiochimwitsana! He needs a serious reality check. In actual fact he should NOT be allowed to leave this country after voting in 2019. We should take him to task for the mockery and suffering. We were told that he surrendered his green card and therefore we will keep him here. If it is uncovered that he did not surrender it, EVERYONE who was involved in the conspiracy should be taken to task for being an accomplice to an illegitimate regime.
Koma chonde ine sindikuvetsa atamati life is improving, akunena a Malawife amene moyo ukusitha? Tandiuzani kumene zikuwayendera?
Honourable folks, is the president in the right state of mind or what? Of course this is not meant to be derogatory or demean the head of state. But SURELY which lives of people is improving in Malawi? Which area? District?.Is the president living in Malawi? Does the president have real adviser? Are they honest with him?
Please take a trip to any nearby rural area, minda ya anthu yagonela yosalima this year. Anthu sanalime ndalama alibe, zokolora za last year alimi sanapeze chilichose. The losses for the small-scale farmers incurred was not only poor but unprecedented too???.
Probably the president when talking about improved lives of Malawians is referring to his ddp connected business elite, masquerading as traders are now exporting maize at the expense of poor farmers. These thieves are likely making money now that the president has lifted the ban for maize exportation. Not ordinary Malawians, it’s a blatant lie.
The president is also proclaiming a narrative that people are now are no longer living in gras-thatched houses.. How does the whole of the head of state come up with such a naive narrative? How does he even measure that? If one is to use for example a rate ( for example 10 houses per 1,000 population), as an objective measure of assessment comparable across populations and/ or period of time. Would such claims be substantiated?
The president makes similar insinuations when he talks about implementation of the ddp manifesto. Any fair thinking person would agree there’s nothing tangible implemented so far in the ddp blue-print. No Mombela University, no Nsanje In-land Port, fake graduants from??? Non-existent community colleges, subside program stiill not abolished, the list is ENDLESS???? A litany of lies!!!!
The president should desist from talking things that would compel other people NOT take him SERIOUSLY.
Then the president talks of human rights at the very moment his own government is trying tooth and nail to stiffle all efforts to suffocate attempts to bring the Electoral Bill to parliament.
The president may be provoking situations where people will be mocking him or make rude sentiments. Dr Chakwera was once blamed for such.
The president should STOP saying things that only exist in his delusional mind. He is completely out of touch with reality. This abnormal, it’s not mere political rhetoric. It borders on pathological terms.
It’s very positive that such observations of corruption are coming from members of the diplomatic community. A constituency that has absolutely no undue political interest of the country. SURELY people like Virginia Palmer can do without a poor
Malawi, let’s be honest.
Otherwise ddp thugs deliberately choose to suffer from selective amnesia. When it comes to people who support them or not. Thete was a time ddp enjoyed countrywide majority support, even from the very people it is despising now