Bingu takes anti-devaluation gospel to religious leaders

Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika on Thursday took his kwacha anti-devaluation gospel to religious leaders when he invited them for a meeting at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre.

The meeting, meant for religious leaders from the South and Eastern regions, included the Catholics, Anglicans, CCAP, Muslims and Pentecostals.

Presidential advisor on religious affairs Billy Gama in an interview on Friday said the meeting had two key items on agenda—Kwacha devaluation and the Zero-Deficit Budget government is implementing.

Gama said the President wanted the religious leaders to understand why government is against the devaluation of the Kwacha and why it is implementing the Zero-Deficit Budget, which other economic experts have spoken against.

This meeting comes after the President also met traditional leaders mid February at Sanjika Palace where he declared that from March 2012, Capital Hill will take control of the monitory policy and not International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Gama said Thursday’s meeting with religious leaders was positive but Weekend Nation did not manage to establish the collective reaction by the clergy on the issues raised or whether their reaction would represent the mood of the meeting.

In attendance was the Catholic Archbishop Tarcizius Ziyaye of Blantyre Archdiosese, Bishop Thomas Msusa of Zomba Diocese, Bishop Peter Musikuwa of Chikwawa Diocese and other priests; Muslim Association of Malawi (Mam) chairman Sheikh Muhammad Idrissah and his general secretary Sheikh Salmin Omar and several others from Pentecostals.

Omar said in an interview Mutharika explained to them the dangers of devaluing the Kwacha and Mam understood his fears.

Omar said: “As a religious body, we would not agree to something that would hurt people. According to the President’s explanation, we agree that if the Kwacha is devalued, people can be hurt and as Mam, we cannot allow that.

“He also explained why as a country we should have a Zero-Deficit Budget. He explained how important it is to fund our own budget, but he pointed out that Malawi still need donor assistance.”

Attempts to talk to Archbishop Ziyaye to find out his take on President’s explanation proved futile.

Gama said other meetings with religions leaders will take place in the Central and Northern regions.

IMF, which offers monetary policy advice to its members, has advised government to devalue the local currency if the country is to resolve the fuel scarcity and forex shortage.

A country has a choice whether to take such an advice or not, but Mutharika, apart from ignoring the IMF’s advice, has gone public to attack the body for not letting Malawi handle its economy the way it deems proper.