Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture, Richard Chimwendo Banda has advocated the need for a behavioural change and paradigm shift to ensure that the country rescue and preserve its environment for the future.
He was speaking at Katete in Zambia where he represented President Dr Lazarus Chakwera at this year’s Kulamba Cultural events which was graced by President of that country Hakainde Hichelema popularly known as Barry or HH in political circles.
Chimwendo stressed the need for every citizen including traditional leaders to take lead in orientating their subjects about the catastrophic consequences of mishandling the environment.
“We must decide as people today how we want to live our lives. As parents, we must decide leave a society better than we found it for the good our children. If not, we have done a total disservice to the next generation.
“The reality check is that it is must that we need a paradigm shift. The cyclones, erosion droughts and flooding are a threat to humanity and danger to the next generation and continues to affect the socioeconomic development of the nation.
I, therefore, on behalf of the President of Malawi, Dr Lazarus Chakwera, duly urge our traditional leaders who advocate for solidarity and unity, we must together hold hands with President Chakwera’s government in containing the surge of hunger, drought, among others which have come about due to climate change related effects,” said Chimwendo Banda who is also the Secretary General of the ruling Malawi Congress Party- MCP.
Chimwendo has also advised the pastors and sheiks to preach about the dangers of deforestation, bush burning and other eco- systems that are unfriendly to the sustainability of the environment and looming danger they cause during their sermons in churches, synagogues and mosques.
Chimwendo added: if we are not careful today with our actions on telling each the truth about climate change related effects, the flooding will continue to remind us that we are a careless generation. These floodings and droughts are a stark reminder that the country cannot be complacent about this grave threat anymore. We have to stand up together with our President Chakwera and help him in managing the crisis.
Chimwendo who said he is fond if quoting the words of late Dr Martin Luther King Junior on many topics that affect humanity and on climate change he once said:
“When it comes to climate change, the hour is almost upon us. If we act boldly and swiftly, if we set aside our political interests in favour of the air that our young people will breathe, and the food they will eat, and the water they will drink; if we think about them and their hopes and dreams, then we will act, and it won’t be too late.
And we can leave behind a world that is worthy of our children, where there’s reduced conflict and greater cooperation – a world marked not by human suffering, but by human progress.”
This year’s Kulamba cultural theme was “Ensuring Food Security by Adopting Climate Resilient and Climate- Smart Agricultural Practices”.
Kulamba Traditional Ceremony of the Chewa people is annually hosted by His Majesty Paramount Chief Kalonga Gawa Undi at Mkaika Palace in Katete Disttict in that country.
The Minister led a team of about 20 Senior Traditional Authorities and other officials.
