CCJP concerned with deteriorating socio-economic status
The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) says it is concerned with the prevailing socio-economic situation in the country that has left many poor people hopeless and distressed.
In a statement issued yesterday CCJP national coordinator Boniface Chibwana says concerns that Malawians have been raising on the rising cost of living, shortage of drugs in public hospitals and poor service delivery, among others, are genuine and need to be addressed.
The statement said the country is in a state of hopelessness with loss of direction and Malawians feel betrayed by the Tonse Alliance administration’s failure to fulfil numerous campaign promises.
Reads the statement in part: “The Tonse Alliance government was voted into power because its campaign promises, which now we can correctly call propaganda, gave hope to most Malawians regarding being taken out of dehumanising levels of poverty.
“But in less than two years, all citizens except for the few well connected, all that hope is lost. More seriously, citizens don’t even know where the country is going.”
The statement further says the recent demonstrations held in the country’s major cities of Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu are just the beginning of the manifestation of people’s hopelessness, feeling of having been betrayed and their anger.
In the past three weeks, former UTM Party director of youth Bon Kalindo led Malawians in anti-government demonstrations to force President Lazarus Chakwera to address various challenges the country is facing.
The former Mulanje South legislator has since given Chakwera seven days to address several issues contained in his petition
According to CCJPs statement, the citizen’s anger is fueled by the general perception that the country lacks decisive leadership. The organisation states that it expects that while Malawians have a right or duty to express dissatisfaction, everything should be done according to the law.
The statement said it is, therefore, important that government should handle the citizens’ growing frustration and loss of hope.
CCJP also wants the Anti-Corruption Bureau to investigate corruption at National Oil Company of Malawi in the awarding of fuel contracts and that government must address challenges that have marred the Affordable Inputs Programme.
Minister of Information Gospel Kazako, who is also the official government spokesperson, is on record as having said on numerous occasions that the Tonse Alliance administration is a listening government and Malawians must remain calm as challenges being faced are gradually being addressed.
In his address during the official opening of Economics Association of Malawi 2021 Annual Lakeshore Conference in Mangochi on November 11, Chakwera admitted that the country is in an economic crisis.
However, the President said the painful prescriptions to cure the domestic economy gives hope of recovery.
Chakwera ascended to the presidency following his triumph in the court-sanctioned Fresh Presidential Election that was held on June 23 2020.
