DPP mess source of pain—Kachali

Painful economic policies Malawi has to follow are a result of negligence and mess caused by the former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration, but Malawians should focus on restoring their dignity than vengeance, Vice-President Khumbo Kachali has said.

Kachali, who addressed a political rally at Edingeni in Mzimba on Sunday, gave an insight into priorities of President Joyce Banda, saying restoring human dignity, respect for human rights, equal opportunities and economic diversification are high on People’s Party (PP) government’s agenda.

Banda is expected to open the budget session of Parliament on Friday.

Said Kachali: “The former [DPP] administration specialised in castigation, created a huge mess in the economy by chasing donors and refusing to listen to critical advice and eroded the dignity of Malawians by taking them through economic experiments which caused untold suffering.”

Kachali, flanked by almost all PP national executive committee members, said Malawians should forgive those that caused them suffering, saying vengeance could derail focus on development.

“I can assure you the fertiliser subsidy will continue, but with emphasis on the items being delivered to the poorest of the poor qualified to receive the subsidy. We are also looking at agricultural diversification as a matter of priority,” said Kachali.

The Vice-President said the PP administration will include proper marketing strategy to ensure that farmers get proper prices to enable them to procure farm inputs and not the current scenarios which some businesspeople were monopolising and reaping off farmers.

“The budget this time will be a realistic budget and not something that we should experiment with people’s lives. We want to return to umunthu, where leaders serve the people. There was no leadership but castigation of everyone who offered critical reasoning,” said Kachali.

PP provincial chairperson for the North the Reverend Brown Soko, however, told Kachali to warn defectors to the party to come in as ordinary people, saying others were coming into the party to claim positions which they do not have.