DPP chides Tonse

Opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) says Tonse Alliance failed Malawians in 2022, citing lack of economic leadership.

Minister of Information and Digitisation Gospel Kazako was not immediately available yesterday to comment on DPP remarks as he was reportedly attending a funeral.

In its 2022 round-up statement yesterday, DPP said lack of economic leadership resulted in the deterioration of the country’s socio-economic status.

The statement signed by the party’s spokesperson Shadric Namalomba claimed most Malawians lost hope for a better Malawi.

Reads part of the statement: “Almost two years after [Lazarus] Chakwera became President of this country, he has failed completely to govern this country.

“Malawi has a leadership crisis, Malawi has a political crisis and Malawi has an economic crisis.”

According to the statement, the deteriorating socio-economic status has also affected the country’s democracy which slowly is sliding back into a dark State reminiscent of the one-party era.

The statement further said Malawians do not deserve to be treated like this and has called for Chakwera’s resignation.

This is not the first time DPP has called for the President’s resignation.

In previous press briefings and statements, they also called Chakwera to resign due to what they described as “his failure to govern the country”.

In the statement, Namalomba said: “Our message to Malawians is that never should we give up the struggle for our country. We should stand up for our country.

“Together let us rescue this country from the poisonous jaws of the Tonse Government. The Tonse Government must go. Chakwera must resign.”

Meanwhile, Council for Non-Government Organisations in Malawi (Congoma) chairperson Kossam Munthali in a 2022 roundup statement yesterday also said the country’s socio-economic status worsened in the past year.

He attributed it to the hunger situation in some parts of the country where the needy are surviving on mangoes or maize husks.

Munthali said: “Poverty levels continued growing and now at above 51 percent with increased inequality, deprivation and destitution in the country.”

Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) national coordinator Boniface Chibwana on Wednesday also lamented the country’s deteriorating socio-economic status in 2022.

He said: “The socio-economic situation, especially the living standards of many Malawians has gone from bad to worse in the past year. Prices of basic commodities skyrocketed due to high inflation.”

As of November 2022, Malawi’s inflation was at 26.7 percent, largely triggered by the rise in food and non-food items.

In previous responses to these criticisms, Kazako repeated that government is creating a new Malawi. As such, it has taken a new direction which the opposition would mistake as a loss of direction.