Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops (MCCB) has asked members of Parliament (MPs) affiliated to the Catholic Church and their colleagues to take the lead in addressing Malawi’s deepening economic and social challenges.
MCCB Pastoral Commission chairperson Bishop Alfred Mateyu Chaima made the call in Lilongwe during the orientation of newly elected Catholic parliamentarians to the Catholic Parliamentary Liaison Office (CPLO).
He said Malawi is grappling with persistent hunger, shortages of medical supplies in public hospitals and widespread corruption, calling on MPs to remain accountable to the people who elected them.
“As members of Parliament, you are delegates of the people. They expect you to serve them and make laws that promote the common good of all Malawians, not a small section of society,” said Chaima who is bishop of Zomba Diocese of the Catholic Church.
He described hunger, disease and envy as Malawi’s “three enemies” and said it was disappointing that the country remains among the least developed nations more than six decades after independence.
Chaima cited poor road infrastructure, chronic drug shortages, an unmotivated civil service, underfunding of State produce trader Admarc, weak oversight institutions such as the Anti-Corruption Bureau, nepotism and regionalism as key issues requiring urgent legislative attention.
In his remarks, Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) national coordinator Lewis Msiyadungu said Malawi’s worsening food insecurity should be treated as a moral emergency.
He said more than four million Malawians, nearly one in five, are experiencing acute food insecurity during the current lean season.
“This is not just a statistic. Behind the numbers are families going to bed hungry, children at risk of malnutrition and households resorting to harmful coping strategies,” said Msiyadungu.
Speaking on behalf of the MPs, Mulanje West legislator Patricia Kaliati (UTM Party) said lawmakers are committed to serving Malawians and crafting laws that support national development.
Out of 224 MPs in the 229-seat National Assembly, 36 are Catholics, including seven serving as Cabinet ministers.
