On Thursday in Parliament, President Lazarus Chakwera once again proved how disconnected he is from the struggles of ordinary Malawians. When asked about the outrageous price of fertilizer, which has skyrocketed beyond K105,000 per bag, his response was nothing short of dismissive and tone-deaf. Instead of addressing the crisis head-on, Chakwera told Malawians to stop complaining about rising prices and focus on the profits they supposedly make when selling their produce.
This statement reeks of arrogance and a lack of empathy. Let’s break this down: where are people supposed to get the maize they need to sell to afford fertilizer? Maize prices are at an all-time high, and for most households, having even a single bag of maize is a luxury. How can they possibly sell two and a half bags, as the President casually suggests, to buy fertilizer?
Even more shocking, does this mean that the maize the government is distributing to struggling households should now be sold to afford fertilizer? Is this Chakwera’s advice to the poor people of Malawi? Instead of ensuring that every Malawian has access to affordable fertilizer and food, the President seems to be encouraging desperation-driven decisions that will leave families with nothing to eat. This is not leadership; it’s abandonment.
The price of maize is a direct reflection of this administration’s failure. What Chakwera fails to understand—or perhaps ignores—is that his government’s inability to stabilize the agricultural sector has plunged Malawians into deeper poverty. Farmers are the backbone of this country, and instead of supporting them, his administration is burying them under the weight of unmanageable costs.
President Chakwera’s response in Parliament was not only dismissive but insulting to the millions of Malawians who are struggling to put food on the table. Rising prices for fertilizer and maize are not just market fluctuations; they are the result of a government that has failed to plan and prioritize the welfare of its citizens.
Even the supposed Admarc intervention, which was meant to provide affordable maize, has fallen flat. If people cannot afford maize at the current market price, how does Chakwera expect them to sell maize to buy fertilizer? And what about those who don’t have any maize at all? Are they supposed to starve while waiting for this administration to figure out its priorities?
Chakwera’s remarks in Parliament are a painful reminder that he is out of touch with the harsh realities facing Malawians. Instead of taking responsibility for his government’s failures, he has chosen to shift the blame onto the very people he was elected to serve.
Malawi is a nation in crisis, and Chakwera’s leadership—or lack thereof—is at the center of it. Farmers cannot afford fertilizer, families cannot afford maize, and hunger is becoming an ever-present reality. The President’s dismissive attitude will not solve these problems. What Malawians need is a leader who listens, who understands, and who acts.
President Chakwera, the time for excuses is over. Malawians deserve better than empty rhetoric and hollow justifications. If you cannot deliver real solutions to the crises you’ve allowed to escalate, step aside and let someone else lead.
