Government taking people for granted—Chakwera

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera on Sunday accused the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of taking people for granted as demonstrated by the manner it is running affairs of the State.

Chakwera, who is also leader of opposition in Parliament, told a rally at Mtunthama Primary School ground in Kasungu that there was no hope in looking up to the government.

He said: “It is a tough world out there and for people to survive and thrive, it is going to take us ganging up together. Otherwise, looking into government and how it is being run, nobody can have that hope.”

Chakwera further said what Malawians are currently experiencing can be compared to genocide. He said people are dying anyhow due to lack of drugs in public hospitals and hunger when the budget was approved.

He said: “How can we say we will face hunger? Issues of climate change are no longer an issue. There are farms [here], why are they not being utilised? The problem is we are shortsighted. But if we thought like [founding president Hastings] Kamuzu Banda, we would not be in such a situation.

Earlier, Speaker of Parliament Richard Msowoya, who is MCP vice-president, also appealed to donors to help Malawi cast its vote in 2019.

During the rally, several members from different parties, including United Democratic Front (UDF), People’s Party (PP), DPP and independents were welcomed into the MCP fold.

Reacting to similar MCP attacks of government losing touch last Thursday, Minister of Information, Tourism and Civic Education Jappie Mhango, who is the official government spokesperson, accused the party of living in its own world.