Excerpts from President Peter Mutharika's speech at Mulhako wa Alhomwe cultural event at Chonde in Mulanje, 13 October 2019
This is a ceremony of celebration. We are seeing people from different tribes because this is unity in diversity.
There is nothing wrong with celebrating our cultures. There is nothing wrong with celebrating unity in diversity.
We should not use culture to divide the country.
We should be a hardworking people. We should be a self-dependent people.
Let us be a peaceful people. Malawi has always been known as a peaceful country.
Some people do not want peace in this country. We are building while they are destroying. This is not good.
We must always live above hate. Hate is evil. Hate is for evil people. We must live above all evil.
We must never, never hate another tribe. No tribe is superior over another tribe. We must never use one tribe to fight another tribe.
We must never revenge evil with evil.
We must never allow frustrated and failed politicians to divide and confuse us as Malawians.
Let us cultivate a culture of peace in our various tribes.
Let us also maintain only traditions that are progressive. Some traditions are retrogressive. We must stop traditions that spread HIV/AIDS and encourage early marriages. Let us encourage young girls to finish their school.
Above all, let us unite to develop this country. We are all Malawians.
