Chakwera pledges to take challenges head-on

President Lazarus Chakwera on Tuesday arrived in Mzuzu for his crop inspection tour in the Northern Region with an admission that life was becoming unbearable for Malawians.

However, the President said his government was taking the socio-economic challenges head-on.

He said this on Tuesday at Mzuzu Shoprite Roundabout after arriving through Mzuzu Airport.

Chakwera said his government cannot pretend that things are normal, as they are not.

He said: “I am here to appreciate how things are because the country has problems, but we are hopeful. A person without hope is a dead one. Our coming [to the North] is important as I have been to many parts of the country.

“I want to ensure progress is being made in the country and how development programmes we have must be implemented. There are many issues on development, roads, factories and farming and even the development of Mzuzu.”

Without being specific, Chakwera said his government has already started implementing certain programmes.

“We need to meet the challenges straight on, and look at best things for Malawians.

“We don’t want to speak as if everything is fine, we are the first to appreciate that Malawians are suffering and we are addressing these issues,” said the President.

Besides crop inspection tours and rallies in Nkhata Bay, Chitipa and Karonga, Chakwera is expected to grace the installation of Joseph Bongololo Gondwe of the controversial Chukulamayembe chieftaincy in Rumphi, before attending the Labour Day events in Mzuzu on Sunday. So far, Chakwera’s crop inspection tour in parts of the Southern and Eastern regions exposed flaws in the implementation of the crisis-riddled 2021/22 Affordable Inputs Programme.