Opposition unites to demand Mutharika address Malawians over mounting crises
Malawi’s opposition political parties have thrown their weight behind Parliament’s decision to launch a series of high-profile inquiries into pressing national issues, using the moment to unleash a fresh wave of criticism against President Peter Mutharika’s administration.
United Democratic Front president Atupele Muluzi said the inquiries were vital to ensuring concerns affecting ordinary Malawians are never ignored, using the announcement to take aim at what he described as a deeply entrenched “rentier system” within Malawi’s political economy.
“They reflect a deeper problem with the rentier system we have allowed to develop, where a small, well-connected elite has too often benefited from the State while ordinary Malawians struggle to access basic services and opportunities,” Muluzi said.
UTM leader Dalitso Kabambe went further, directly calling on President Mutharika to address the nation in order to restore public confidence, insisting the scale of the country’s challenges demanded nothing less than decisive leadership.
“Such leadership is essential to unite our people and accelerate our recovery,” Kabambe said.
Malawi Congress Party spokesperson Jessie Kabwira was equally scathing, arguing the development exposed what she branded clear failures by the DPP administration, particularly over the country’s persistent electricity blackouts and ongoing corruption scandals.
Kabwira similarly challenged Mutharika to address the nation directly on the issues.
People’s Party spokesperson Ackson Kalaile Banda also weighed in, joining the chorus of opposition voices piling pressure on government over the mounting list of concerns now under parliamentary investigation.
The wave of political reaction comes as Parliament pushes ahead with a series of joint committee inquiries covering issues including power blackouts, allegations surrounding a suspicious K700 million transaction, and irregularities within the Farm Input Subsidy Programme, among other pressing national concerns.
