Mutharika says Malawi needs ‘mindset change’ to support economic transformation

President Peter Mutharika has called for “mindset change” amongst Malawians to support economic transformation.

Mutharika was speaking when he president over a graduation of Mzuzu University (Mzuni)  congregation where over 800 graduated with degrees in various fields of study.

Among the graduands were 589 males and 243 females with about 30 awarded master’s degrees, one a doctor of philosophy (PhD) and two, including poet and producer Qabaniso Malewezi aka Q Malewezi, and honorary doctorate degrees.

Mutharika, who is also chancellor of Mzuni, advised graduating students to look forward and define their personal vision and path to the destiny of the country.

“We need character development because Malawi needs serious mindset change if we are to develop,” said the President.

“We need skills development because we need to create more jobs. Above all, we need mindset change to support this economic transformation. We need a common spirit and character for pursuing our national destiny,” he added.

The Malawi leaders said “the national pursuits must be within the common spirit of patriotism, with the common character of integrity, and a common culture of hard work.

“Without patriotism, we have no country. We have no common home. We have nothing! Without our love for one Malawi, as a people of a common destiny, we cannot develop because we spend more time plundering Malawi and quarrelling.”

He also called on Malawians to be hardworking people, saying success is not possible without being a hardworking people.

“Success is not a miracle. Success is not talent. Success is a product of nothing but hard work,” said Mutharika.

Earlier, a High Court ordered Mzuni to award degrees to 10 self-sponsored students initially excluded by the university from the list of awardees.

Blantyre-based visiting High Court judge Healy Potani issued the order in Mzuzu on Thursday for Mzuni to include the 10 barred on the basis that they paid fees later than their colleagues.

Mzuni had earlier tried to bar the students from taking examinations because they paid their fees late. The students obtained an injunction to stop Mzuni’s decision. After the results were out, the school also clang to their results and it took a legal battle to have the university release the results.

The institution then resorted to excluding the students from the list of graduates to be awarded degrees despite that they sat and passed their examinations but also paid fees.

Lawyer representing the students, Leonard Mbulo, said it was surprising that the university barred the students from graduating when they met all requirements.