A CALL FOR TRUTH AND TRAFORMATIONAL CHANGE
Fellow Malawians, we stand at a critical juncture in our nation’s history, with barely six months to the next General election.
We have a profound opportunity to make a wiser decision about who should lead us through these turbulent and challenging times and beyond.
President Dr Lazarus Chakwera delivered his State of the Nation Address (SONA), attempting to paint a picture of progress and resilience. However, the reality on the ground which is experienced by each and every Malawians starkly contrasts with the President’s narrative. Today, we stand not just as representatives of the people but as their voice, a voice raised against deception, mediocrity, and the devastating failures of a clandestine government that has repeatedly turned crisis into catastrophe.
President Dr Chakwera has proven himself a master of excuses, a craftsman of obfuscation, and a leader tragically disconnected from the daily struggles of the Malawian people.
He stood before the representatives of the people, the Diplomatic Corps, and the nation, delivering what he called a report on “progress.” But let us be clear: this speech was nothing more than a desperate attempt to mask incompetence, mismanagement, and a trail of broken promises with empty rhetoric.
Malawians have heard these speeches before. What they deserve is truth, not well-rehearsed fables meant to distract them from their suffering. We, the UTM, offer not just criticism but a clear, actionable vision for a transformed Malawi.
FOUR YEARS OF FAILURE: A LITANY OF EXCUSES, NOT SOLUTIONS
For over 1,684 days, President Dr Chakwera and his government have failed to lead. Instead of making life better for Malawians, they have excelled in making excuses—blaming COVID-19, the war in Ukraine, past administrations, and even labeling critics as enemies. But leadership is not about excuses; it is about finding solutions in the toughest of times. Instead, this administration has plunged our nation deeper into crisis, making life unbearable for ordinary Malawians. Wars, economic downturns, and unforeseen circumstances are, regrettably, facts of life in our interconnected world. But for how much longer must the people of Malawi endure endless excuses, blaming external circumstances or the past, when this government has had four long years to fix the problems and demonstrate competence?
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
Mr. President, the time has come for you to honor your own promise—step down, as you vowed to do if you failed to fix this country in your first two years. You have failed. Malawians will no longer tolerate failure disguised as governance. The people are not merely statistics or political pawns; they are the heart and soul of Malawi, and their voices deserve to be heard and their suffering addressed.
President Dr Chakwera boasted about “systemic surgery”—but what systemic surgery has anyone actually seen? The country is sicker now than when he took office! What he has truly done is amputate the livelihoods of Malawians. Tough measures are sometimes necessary, but there is a right way and a wrong way to implement them. The sequencing of these decisions is absolutely critical. The 25% and 44% devaluations of the Kwacha were an economic disaster that plunged inflation beyond 30%, making basic commodities and services unaffordable. Let’s examine the stark reality:
Maize:
When President Dr Chakwera took office in 2020, a 50kg bag of maize wast MWK 7,500; now, it costs MWK 85,000 in some markets in the Southern Region.
Fuel:
In 2020, fuel cost was MWK 690 per liter; now, it costs MWK 2,300.
Fertilizer:
A 50kg bag of fertilizer cost was MWK 18,000 in 2020; now, it’s over MWK 90,000.
Tomatoes:
A bucket of tomatoes was MWK1,500 in 2020; now, it’s MWK 7,000.
Sugar:
In 2020, sugar was MWK 800 per kg; now, it’s MWK 3,500.
Electricity:
Since 2020, electricity tariffs have increased by over 40%, adding to the burden on families and businesses.
Internet:
Data costs have skyrocketed, hindering access to information and opportunities for education and entrepreneurship.
Medicine:
The cost of essential medicines has risen exponentially, putting healthcare out of reach for many.
Education:
School fees have become increasingly unaffordable, threatening the future of our children. What Malawi needs is not a President who does the bare minimum and claims glory, but a leader with the vision, the economic acumen, and the unwavering determination to fundamentally transform and overhaul this nation for the better. President Dr Chakwera’s so-called achievements? Any leader with even a modicum of competence could have achieved them.
What we do know, and what is on record, is that under his leadership, the economy has barely scraped 2% annual growth rate against annual population growth of 2.7% meaning that every year more, Malawians are being relegated into abject poverty, now standing at 75% of the population. Inflation which was in single digit at 7% now stands at 33% while salary adjustments have barely creeped to 5% which has eroded all purchasing power among Malawian consumers.
Interest rates which were at 13% have now doubled to 26% while bank loans have gone beyond 60% soaring cost of production. The Malawi kwacha which was K732/US$ is at K1,700/US$ on the official market and over K4,200/US$ on the parallel market. Import cover has also sharply contracted from 3 months to less than 2 weeks leading to acute shortages of foreign exchange, fuels and fertilizers. Public debt has also soared from K4 trillion to over K15 trillion with nothing to show for. So, where will we be in 2030? Or even in 2063? Worse off than ever before. And while the MCP blindly chants ‘Boma ndilomweli,’ the real voices of Malawians, from Chitipa to Nsanje, Mchinji to Nkhota Kota, are crying out: ‘Pa ground zinthu sizilibwino!’
His reckless economic policies, forcing companies to sell off their forex reserves at lower rates, have forced businesses to shut down, while others flee to neighboring countries, leaving thousands jobless, now at 91%. Crimes—both petty and violent—is surging. And if you need further proof of his failure, just look around—more people are begging in the streets than ever before. President Dr Chakwera has single-handedly damaged the very essence of Malawi, turning a once-welcoming society into one filled with desperation, frustration, and rising hostility.
The warm heart of Africa is now growing cold. He boasts about increasing salaries, but conveniently forgets to mention that these so-called hikes are meaningless when inflation erases them overnight. If a leader truly cares about salaries, they should be indexed to inflation—anything else is a cynical gimmick, a slap in the face of the working Malawians.
And while Malawians struggle to survive, this President has been on a record-breaking travel spree—more foreign trips in four years than the last three Presidents combined—with absolutely nothing tangible to show for it. We were promised Christmas would come early with the Bridgin Foundation fiasco, yet not a single tambala has arrived. Each foreign trip comes with a fresh batch of false promises, yet Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is at its worst levels in history.
Meanwhile, maize production—Malawi’s staple food—has plummeted to historic lows, threatening millions with starvation.
THE TRUTH IS UNDENIABLE: THIS GOVERNMENT IS A FAILURE, AND MALAWIANS ARE PAYING A PRIME PRICE FOR IT
Malawians cannot afford basic needs, including medicine and school fees. The President speaks of food security, yet reports show that over 5 million Malawians are wallowing in excruciating starvation. Most are already struggling. Instead of fixing these critical issues over the last four years, this government has politicized aid, taking away the dignity of vulnerable Malawians.
They are making people stand in long queues, looking for a bag of maize, as if that is the essence of leadership. Where is the progress in that? We fail to see it. Meanwhile, the so-called achievements President Dr Chakwera boasted about are crumbling under scrutiny. Reports from almost districts including Mzimba, Chikwawa, Mangochi, Chitipa, Rumphi, Phalombe, Ntchisi, Kasungu and Likoma confirm what Malawians have long suspected—many of these projects were possibly funded but simply never happened. And now, in an ironic twist, the MCP’s own Press Secretary has been caught admitting the truth in a widely circulated voice note: they misreported their achievements, and to them, lying to Malawians is acceptable because it’s an election year.
My fellow Malawians. Let that sink in for a minute. The ruling party’s own mouthpiece is on record stating that the details don’t matter, that misreporting is justified because they are dealing with an “enemy.” So, win by any means necessary. And worse—she referred to Malawians demanding accountability as ‘the enemy.’ Can you believe that? Who is this enemy Madam Publicity Secretary, Mr. President, and the MCP? The hardworking father who has lost all his crops or can’t feed his family? The struggling mother who can’t afford maize or educate her kids? The youth who remain jobless despite endless government promises? The business man whose investments are going bust? The patient who can’t find medicine in the hospital? The teacher who has not received their salary?
TELL US MR. PRESIDENT – who is this enemy? This is beyond disgraceful. It is a betrayal of public trust, a dangerous slide towards authoritarianism. When a government starts seeing its own people as enemies simply for wanting the truth, it has lost all legitimacy. The very people who elected them.
We do, however, commend those who have spoken out against these blatant lies-whistleblowers who still believe that leadership should be about service, not propaganda. To them, we say: continue to speak out, continue to expose the truth, because Malawians deserve to know. With these revelations, we are confident that in the coming hours and days, Malawians will begin to hear from district by district what was promised in that SONA versus what was actually delivered. And while some projects were indeed completed, let us be crystal clear-any government can complete projects, especially projects inherited from previous administrations.
Imagine a whole President littering the streets with billboards proclaiming the development of the Mzimba Street Roundabout! Really? MZIMBA STREET ROUNDABOUT? A whole President singing about that? These, under UTM and our decentralization policy, will be city projects. Let Mayors talk about that. And in fact, many of these projects were simply inherited from the previous administration and merely finalized under Dr Chakwera. Government projects are not party projects-NDIZOSIYILANA. And when we come into power in 2025, we will build upon and complete what they have started.
But let me be frank with my fellow Malawians: While we commend China AID for the M1 Rehabilitation and other international partners for projects that have been fulfilled, most of what President Dr Chakwera and his government has done is superficial at best-mere cosmetic band-aids on a hemorrhaging nation. This was not deep “systemic surgery.” This was temporary patchwork, not a cure for our nation’s underlying ailments. As social media has perfectly summed it up:
1st SONA in 2021 – “I am doing Surgery”
2nd SONA in 2022 – “I am doing Surgery”
3rd SONA in 2023 – “I am doing Surgery”
4th SONA in 2024 – “I am doing Surgery”
5th SONA in 2025 – “I am doing Surgery”
Pardon Doctor, is the patient still alive?
While Chakwera, in SONA, claims to have empowered the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), corruption has flourished under his watch. We have gone months without an ACB Director-how is that institution supposed to function? Instead, we have seen grand theft of public funds through scandals such as Butcher Gate, Pharmacy Gate, and the infamous Bridgin Foundation scam. And tell me, my Fellow Malawians, how does a whole government pay billions of Kwacha to procure one of the most critical items in our nation’s economy, food security and livelihoods for millions of people, FROM A BUTCHERY? Are we being serious? Billions have since vanished while farmers are left without fertilizer. Dr Chakwera has protected corrupt individuals in his government while punishing whistleblowers and political opponent. And since he invoked the name of our Founding Father, the late Dr Saulos Klaus Chilima (SKC), let us be clear—this President and MCP are disingenuous, fake, and downright liars. The same people who invoke SKC’s legacy yesterday and when it suits them, are the very ones who persecuted him relentlessly. The whole country knows, if not for SKC-may his soul rest in peace-Dr Chakwera would not even be President, and MCP would not be ruling today – and perhaps Malawi would have been spared from this suffering. What kind of person treats another in that manner, especially one that made you who you are and put you where you are today? Not a good person at all, if you ask me. Instead of fixing the country together, you sidelined him, choosing politics over country. SKC’s vision was one of transformation, not excuses. But what SKC left us, the UTM family, and the country at large is a legacy—one that he implored us all to carry forward. He left us a Blueprint for Real Transformational Change, which UTM will deliver under my leadership.
Come September, once I am sworn in as President, Malawians will expect to see:
Economic Stability & Growth:
We will cut inflation to single digit within a year, stabilizing the Kwacha and ensuring abundance of forex, cut lending rates to around 10% and overhauling the tax regime by reducing taxes for individuals and businesses alike to stimulate economic activity.
We will unleash the potential of the private sector, fostering a business-friendly environment that encourages investment and job creation.
Agricultural Revitalization:
We will implement Mega Farms in every district within our first year, driving local development, creating jobs, and ensuring food security for all Malawians. These farms, built on the vision of SKC, will be hubs of innovation and productivity.
Industrialization and Job Creation:
Building on the success of the Mega Farms, we will create district-level industries, adding value to each of the agricultural products within the same districts. This will provide employment opportunities and reduce the reliance on imports.
Food Security:
We will make sure that we compete not only in Africa and produce 10 to 15 Million Metric tons of maize in 5 years, so that every Malawian can afford at least three meals a day. This will allow us to generate enough surplus for export and provide animal feed for our livestock, fish, and other animals.
Annually invest about K500 billion each of both public and private funds into mining, manufacturing and tourism to turn the three sector into major sources of economic growth, jobs and wealth creation decisively root out corruption in all its forms by seriously going after every reported corruption case and instituting strong counter corruption measures including ensuring independence of the ACB and its proper funding.
Healthcare Reform:
We will introduce Universal Healthcare Insurance for all Malawians – so that each one plays a role for each other and the countries well-being. We will invest in our healthcare system, ensuring that all Malawians have access to quality healthcare.
Decentralization:
We will finally bring about Decentralization – not just in rhetoric but in deed. Governance of the people by the people, closer to their homes. This means empowering local communities to make decisions about their own development. We will also ensure that each district gets a minimum of K100 billion annually to deliver excellent public services.
Infrastructure Development:
We will create new smart cities and smart villages, that deliver real transformative change for our country to progress. And with the creation the District Development Agencies – in charge of the implementation, Malawi can now start to see each District developing and no longer being left behind from the rest of the country.
Recognizing the critical need for affordable housing, we will establish a Ministry of Social Housing. We will capacitate the Malawi Housing Corporation with 1 Trillion Kwacha of public and private money over 5 years to build no less than 1 Million new homes in the next 5 years and offer low-interest rates to new homeowners. This will be made possible through
government budgets, loans, Public-Private Partnerships, Pension Funds, and FDI. This will drive unprecedented economic growth, creating jobs and stimulating demand. This is a UTM Promise you can take to the Bank. Soon enough, we will unveil our Manifesto, a contract with the people of Malawi. Myself and the UTM will sign on this manifesto, and you can trust that we CAN deliver. This will not be another set of empty promises. This will be a detailed, actionable plan for transforming Malawi,holding us accountable to the Malawian people.
Before I conclude, I implore my fellow Malawians: You have this chance every five years.
Don’t waste it on failed leadership. Another five years of the same excuses will do you, your families, and the nation, no good. Instead, next year, I promise you, you will be paying MK 200,000 for maize, spend days on end on fuel queues and pay MK 20-30,000 per liter, over MK 400,000 for fertilizer, tomatoes for MK 20,000, sugar, will most likely be MK 30,000, with bread about the same price, and cooking oil will be around MK 50,000.
COME SEPTEMBER, LETS VOTE BASED ON PERFORMANCE! YOU ARE THE EMPLOYER – FIRE THOSE WHO HAVE FAILED YOU! LET’S BRING IN MERITOCRACY -STARTING WITH THE PRESIDENT.
Malawians, the time for REAL leadership is now. The people of Malawi will not be fooled again.
Enough is enough! We, the UTM, offer you a clear choice: a future of hope, prosperity, and genuine progress
THANK YOU
Dr Dalitso Kabambe
UTM President
17th February, 2025
