LoP weighs in on independence
Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in Parliament Kondwani Nankhumwa has said Malawi’s 59 years of independence are a mixture of success and failure.
Nankhumwa, a Democratic Progressive Party legislator, said this in reference to the country’s Independence Day celebrations on Thursday, July 6.
“For example, Malawi got independence from British rule 59 years ago, and what have we got to show for it in terms of economic progress? We are currently ranked as one of the poorest countries in the world with per capita gross domestic product of less than $500. All the countries that we are languishing with at the tail end of that index have a history of war.
“In the 1960s, our economy was at par with some of the Asian tigers that are enjoying bustling economies today. So, in terms of economic progress, we have not developed much,” he said.
Nankhumwa said Malawi has made marked progress in areas such as human rights and freedom of speech.
“Today, people are able to criticise government and hold the leadership to account without retribution or fearing for their lives, which is something that was not possible in the past.
“All in all, there is need for a deeper and collective introspection as Malawians in order to find better and creative ways to achieve total and rounded progress because 59 years of freedom is a long time, which does not match with the progress that we have made as a country,” he argued.
In his address Thursday during the independence celebrations in Lilongwe where Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan was the guest of honour, President Lazarus Chakwera said his administration remains committed to its drive to turn Malawi into a self-reliant and inclusively wealthy nation.
The President said despite facing numerous challenges including Cyclone Freddy in March this year and the Covid-19 pandemic, coupled with what he described as an inherited financial mismanagement from the previous government three years ago, his administration remains focused on ensuring that the country transitions to a nation that offers equal opportunities for personal advancement and sustainable national development.
Said Chakwera: “We are driven by a collective purpose to attain a self-reliant and inclusively wealthy nation.”
He said the resolve to develop the nation has seen Malawi work on strengthening its relations with neighbouring countries such as Tanzania and rekindled its development partnerships.
