Leader of Opposition in Parliament George Chaponda has said Malawians had a tough 2024 economically, urging citizens to demand change.
In a statement yesterday, Chaponda also said Malawians deserve a government that is accountable, transparent and truly serves them.
Chaponda, who is Mulanje South West legislator, noted the economic and social crises that have plagued the country throughout the year, including shortages of foreign exchange, fuel, and essential medicines.
“These are not mere inconveniences; they are crises that have left our economy in a state of stagnation, our people struggling to meet their most basic needs, and our health system on the brink of collapse,” he said in the statement in part.
He also faulted the implementation of the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP), describing it as inefficient and corrupt. He said the shortcomings have worsened the ongoing hunger crisis.
Chaponda, who once served as minister of Agriculture in the Democratic Progressive Party administration, also raised concerns about the transparency of the National Registration Bureau (NRB) and the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).
Said Chaponda: “The opposition cannot ignore the growing suspicion that these institutions are being manipulated to interfere with the integrity of the forthcoming elections. Such actions threaten the very foundation of our democracy and must be addressed with urgency and vigilance.
“It is our plea that the NRB and the MEC strive to create a conducive environment for all stakeholders.”
Minister of Information and Digitisation Moses Kunkuyu, who is also the government spokesperson, yesterday said with the nation heading towards an election year, the opposition knows as a campaign strategy is to avoid acknowledging positive strides being made all the time.
He said: “You would not expect the Leader of Opposition to acknowledge that despite facing challenges as a country, we continue to make significant strides towards the stabilization of this country’s economic growth.,
“2024 is a year where we have displayed resilience as a country. Confidence in our leadership and the policies of the administration are now bearing fruits.”
For instance, Kunkuyu said Malawi endured certain hardships to qualify for the restoration of the International Monetray Funds Extended Credit Facility (ECF) and resumption of direct budgetary support.
“And here we are with a budget that has been prudently implemented with unprecedented minimal 0.02 percent overspending as at Mid-Year Review.
“We endured dusty and muddy roads but here we are now some of the roads that were under construction have been constructed and we are driving on them,” he said.
Chaponda’s sentiments are echoed by the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) national coordinator Lewis Msiyadungu.
“The year 2024 was indeed characterised by a lot of man-made crises….Food crisis, AIP crisis, fuel crisis and forex crisis. These could have been averted if the government had a listening ear,” he said.
Msiyadungu further highlighted that governance institutions such as Malawi Human Rights Commission, the Office of the Ombudsman, district councils and government ministries are suffering from inadequate and intermittent funding which is hampering their operations.
Centre for Research and Consultancy director Milward Tobias, an economist and presidential hopeful, agreed that the economy in 2024 tanked with all relevant variables of a healthy economy in disarray.
When presenting the Mid-Year Budget Review on December 4, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Simplex Chithyola-Banda said the country’s economy has been seriously affected by climate shocks such as Cyclone Freddy and draught induced by El Nino.
He conceded that economic growth decreased to 4.0 percent in 2024, down from an estimated 4.3 percent, with food inflation averaging 41.6 percent and non-food inflation at 22.1 percent between January and October, compared to 18.2 percent during the same period in 2023.
Chithyola Banda added that growth in gross domestic product has dropped to 1.8 percent, lower than the earlier estimate of 2.3 percent.
Malawi is reeling under multiple crises of foreign exchange scarcity, fuel shortages and hunger. The foreign exchange crisis is attributed to the country’s low export earnings at $1 billion against an annual import bill of $3 billion.
