Official campaign period has started and our Leader of Delegation, the Most Venerable Ms Joyce Befu, MG 33 and Mega-1 has reminded us to remind politicians not to forget what is in the Malawi 2063.
We know women have their own manifesto, the youth have their own manifesto, and the men of this country have their manifesto, too.
Further, the Southern Region has its own dream world, the Centre has its own, and the North has its manifesto, too. Then there are districts, sub-districts and villages. If the politicians, particularly the presidential candidates, were to listen to all these manifestos, they would run literally mad, not knowing what we, as a country, need most.
To avoid such a situation, we urge all non-politicians or quasi-politicians, activists, not to come up with their manifestos. Instead, all of us Malawians, minus politicians, should rally behind the Malawi 2063 and force politicians to answer us. We should elect only those with the best ideas about how Malawi 2063 can be realised.
Malawians aspire to have a better life. This is what they said in 2020 or thereabouts:
The Malawi we want by 2063
- An inclusively wealthy and self-reliant industrialized upper middle-income country.
- A vibrant knowledge-based economy with a strong and competitive manufacturing industry that is driven by a productive and commercially vibrant agriculture and mining sector.
- World-class urban centers and tourism hubs across the country with requisite socio-economic amenities for a high-quality life.
- A united, peaceful, patriotic and proud people that believe in their own abilities and are active participants in building their nation.
- Effective governance systems and institutions with strict adherence to the rule of law.
- A high-performing and professional public service.
- A dynamic and vibrant private sector.
- Globally competitive economic infrastructure.
- A globally competitive and highly motivated human resource.
- An environmentally sustainable economy.
The Malawi National Commission has made the work of politicians easier by diving the Malawi 2063 into 10-year implementation plans, called MIPs. We are currently in MIP-1 which expires 2030.
Malawi’s development rests on the three hearth stones, called pillars: 1) Agricultural development and commercialisation, 2) industrialisation, and 3) urbanisation.
There are also the following seven enablers to facilitate change.
lMindset Change
lEffective Governance Systems and Institutions
lEnhanced Public Sector Performance
lPrivate Sector Dynamism
lHuman Capital Development
lEconomic Infrastructure
lEnvironmental Sustainability
We expect all presidential candidates to articulate these. We expect all aspiring MPs to articulate how these grand chapeaux will cascade down to their constituencies.
We expect all aspiring councilors to focus on urbanizing their wards, industrialising their wards and developing the agriculture potential of their wards.
The districts have plans of realising these at district level, at constituency level, and at ward level. Ask the DCs to give them to you so that you focus your campaigns.
Journalists, all journalists, are being urged to focus their questions on how the candidates will fulfil the demands and aspirations of Malawians. Don’t be swayed by who insults whom the most. They are time wasters and not worth the honour of being featured.
