STATE OF NATION ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY PROFESSOR ARTHUR PETER MUTHARIKA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MALAWI ON 4TH JULY, 2021 AT PAGE HOUSE IN MANGOCHI
The DPP has found it compelling to address the President and his Government because Malawians have been pushed to a point of suffering beyond endurance. The following are the matters and concerns that we address the President and his Government:
1. There is Lack of Policy and Loss of Leadership Direction.
We are gravely concerned that one year has ended without any policy direction which is being worsened every day with a conspicuous lacking of leadership on issues that affect Malawians. As a result, the is fast being destroyed and nobody is telling us where we are taking the country and the 18 million souls we carry.
2. Malawi’s Diplomatic Crisis in the Region
The DPP and all Malawians who love our country are worried that within one year, Malawi is in a serious diplomatic crisis in the Region. We have aggrieved the Republic of South Africa, which is our Number 1 trading and strategic partner in the Region. Malawi is now being viewed with suspicion and we are fast losing our respect as a nation.
This is dangerous for the country because we need the support of our neighbours for us to access ports, get fuel and drugs into the country, and maintain trade with our partners. We therefore urge Dr Lazarus Chawer and his govern to address the diplomatic problems we have created in South Africa and play a supportive role in Mozambique. Malawi is a landlocked country and we need our neighbours.
3. The Economy is Fast Collapsing and the Cost of Living is Rising
We are concerned that the economy is hurting Malawians and people are failing to afford basic living. Every Malawian can see that in one year the economy has drastically worsened with a critical shortage of forex, plummeting revenue, over-expenditure, excessive local borrowing and a falling Malawi Kwacha. As a result, prices are rising out of control and every Malawian is suffering more than ever. The DPP kept the Kwacha and prices of commodities stable for the six we were in government and we are wondering why the MCP Government is failing to do the same.
4. Theft of Public Funds and Disregard of Accountability
Just before we left office, the DPP Government left K6.2 billion disbursed from Reserve Bank for addressing various COVID-19 challenges, including paying Social Cash Transfer to empower vendors and urban small scale businesses who would be affected by the pandemic and its regulation. Instead, they are arresting and persecuting civil servants to divert attention from the real thieves and culprits who gave the instructions and shared the money.
Further, the current Government disbursed K17 billion which has also been stolen by the same people who are refusing to tell Malawians where the K17 billion has gone. We have an existing Office of the Auditor General whose officers are being paid to do their job every month: what does Government mean when they say they have no money to audit the K17 billion?
The Tonse Government accused the DPP of theft. But up to this day, the Government cannot quote any amount of money which the DPP Government and its officials stole from Treasury. In less than one year however, everyone knows that Dr Lazarus Chakwera, the MCP and their Tonse Government have stolen K23 billion that was intended to save Malawian lives from the COVID-19 pandemic.
This K23 billion does not include other corrupt transactions and systematic plunder outside the COVID funds. Malawians now know who the real thieves are in this country.
5. Development has stopped in the country
We have noted there are no development projects happening except a very low key continuation of DPP projects. Our fear is that Malawi Congress Party has no agenda for developing this country. We note that for 31 years, MCP failed to develop this country because they were preoccupied with persecuting Malawians more than developing this country.
The same trend is now coming again because we can all see that MCP is focusing on arresting people, oppressing kabaza riders and bringing oppressive tax laws that are killing small businesses instead of focusing on developing the country. This matter is very troubling because the only reason any government goes in power is to develop the country and lives of the people.
As such, any political party without an agenda for development does not deserve to stay in office.6. Persecution of the peopleWe have noted with grave concern the Malawi Congress Party and Government has resumed its repressive tactics of dictatorship which Malawians fought and conquered in 1994. We are seeing new repressive laws to legitimize this oppression, which is dangerous because Malawi will soon become a dictatorship by law.
MCP Government has abandoned the rule of law and resumed arbitrary use of power to persecute people whom they find to be political threats. A classic example is that Dr Chakwera directed his government to freeze all bank accounts of Former President Peter Mutharika when the Former President has not committed any crime and is not answering any charges. Can Government explain to Malawians why it has frozen bank accounts of the Former President if they are not simply using arbitrary power to persecute its political opponents?
7. The Election Case
We want to explain to our supporters and all Malawians who love this country that we have petitioned the Courts to nullify the 2020 Presidential Election because the Government itself has told us that the Malawi Electoral Commission was illegal at the time overseeing the Election and endorsing Dr Chakwera as a winner.
The DPP continues to remind Malawians that the MCP Government which is oppressing and persecuting Malawians, collapsing the economy, causing suffering, failing to develop this country and displaying lack of leadership and policy direction is a government that robed power and came into office with the help of the courts. As such, we continue to fight for justice to stop the oppression of Malawians and also rescue Malawi from destruction.
