JB says visit to Kuwait a great success
Malawi President Joyce Banda has described her visit to the State of Kuwait as a success because of the meetings, initiatives and agreements she has had with various individuals, companies and top government officials of that country.
President Banda said was overwhelmed with the positive responses and agreements her Government has signed with the various development partners based in Kuwait that will help improve lives of Malawians.
Banda made a roundup of her visit to Kuwait on Wednesday at Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel when she granted interviews to a crew of Malawian journalists that accompanied her on the trip under the sponsorship of the Kuwait Government.
President Joyce Banda was in Kuwait to attend the third Arab-African Summit that was organized by the Kuwait government with the aim of trying to strengthen bilateral and multilateral relationships between the Arab world and the African continent in her capacity as Chair of SADC and Head of State of the Malawi Government.
President Banda said was happy that a total of US$26.2 million deal has been clinched between the Malawi government and its Kuwait based development partners for the improvement of road infrastructure and upgrading of water system in Chitipa District.
Said Banda; “First we signed an agreement with the OPEC Fund of US$6 million to complete the road between Liwonde and Naminga an ongoing project that needed more money to complete. Another agreement of US$10.2 million was signed with the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development given to us for the construction of the Lirangwe-Chingale-Machinga Road.
“BADEA also signed an agreement with us amounting to US$10 million for the upgrading of water system in Chitipa district.
“We have also sealed a Euro10 million deal with Direct Aid International that will see the organization construct an Islamic University in Lilongwe whose land has already been identified, construct a Grand Mosque in Mangochi and drill boreholes for the Mudzi Transformation Trust Villages and other areas in the same Lakeshore district,” she said.
Banda added: “Direct Aid has also purchased medicines for us based on a request I put forward to them the last time they came to Malawi and I am told the containers carrying the medicines are on their way to Malawi.”
The president said on the margins of the summit she had an opportunity to meet bilaterally with the Amir of Kuwait where they discussed areas of interest.
“As you may have heard, they have pledged to provide US$1 billion for development of infrastructure on the African continent, so my meeting was to thank him for the money and agreements we have signed but also to ask that we be included among countries that will benefit from the new pledge.
“I also met the Prime Minister and I have pressed a request for food and fuel for our country,” she said.
She said to sum it up she had a meeting with the Minister of Labour of Kuwait as it transpired that they are interested to import labour from Malawi.
“I thought we needed to have a formal agreement between our two governments so that I can feel comfortable that our young men and women when they come to work in this country, will be under the protection of this government and of course, our own,” said President Banda.
President Joyce Banda is expected to arrive in the country tomorrow ( Friday).
Which Malawians will benefit from this? Is it the same Malawians who are dying like chickens in hospitals chifukwa chakuti ndalama zogulira mankhwala munaba? Is it the same Malawians who have to folk out thousands just to buy a packet of milk and uses Chidulo because they cant afford soda? Is it the same Malawians who uses maize husks because they cant afford soap. Is it the same Malawians who goes months before they can even get their meagre salaries? I means is it the same Malawians the presidents own relations calls MAKAPE who will benefit from the so-called initiaves? President ochititsa manyazi uyu abale inu.
Good news for those wishing Malawi well but bad news for Allan Ntatas from the Lomwelisation Camp.
The photo itself tells a story. She basically went to Kuwaiti to make allowances and nothing else. The speeches she made were written down for her and all she did was just to mumble like a parrot, mere reading which of course could easily be done by a ps from that ministry and not the whole head of state whose country badly needs the same money she is getting in thousands as allowances in the name of soliciting funds to build a mosque in mangochi. What a waste of resources.
A VYOTO namwe na umbwenumbwenu winu you are still basing your arguments on tribalism and regionalistic tendencies. Kukhozga soni. Ntata was writing for the good of all Malawians who are going through the severe hardships which have come due to your Joyce Banda’s poor leadership of the nation including mismanagement of our economy. How does that become Lomwelized? Kuzgowera kusankhana mitundu mbwenu. Up to when shall you continue to be chindere chakufikapo? JB is just trying to sooth the anger Malawian have on her, PP officials and administration. Nothing of truth will come out of all those agreements. If the Arabs will release all that money it will end up in PP’s cash-gate looting and Malawians like ants sprayed by pesticide will continue dying in our hospitals. Civil servants, like the slaves during Jumbe and Mlozi will continue working without getting their equitable pay. Like the thangata workers under the British era they will continue going without pay for some months and yet enriching the top government appointed by your president and PP top officials. Mind you, JB can say this today and refute the same tomorrow. How many promises has she made to the nation and have materialized? Didn’t she cook up a lie and vehemently promise employment to our young people to the same Kuwait? Did that take root? You guys from the far north seem to be slow in grasping things. You are always quick to criticize and emotionally take action but without tangible solutions when a situation gets out of hand. Here we are now. Is not all this mess triggered by northerners? You were big mouthed to condemn ZERO DEFICIT BUDGET. Has not the concept come by its own as the your god-fathers (the White men) have withdrawn their budgetary support to Malawi? I wish you were more critical thinkers than big mouthed criticizers, hand clappers and blind supporters.