By Arnold Mnelemba
Former Head of state and People’s Party, PP, leader Dr. Joyce Banda says programs that target the poor are the only recipe for social economic transformation of the country.
She was speaking in Mzimba when she addressed a political rally.
Before the rally, the former Malawi leader, visited the Mudzi Transformation Trust Houses, Khosolo Cluster.
When the former leader took over government in 2012, she focused on 5 key set priorities under the Economic Recovery Plan, ERP, as a short term measure to address numerous social economic challenges that engulfed the country.
Infrastructure development, tourism, health, agriculture and food security energy and mining, as well as sustainable economic growth were some of the set key priorities.
She has always emphasized on the need for decent and affordable housing, hence the introduction of Mudzi Transformation Trust.
Banda said a decent housing for people, provision of social amenities including portable water, equitable and accessible health and education service delivery as well as good sanitation services is key to the country’s social economic transformation.
She has constructed houses for the poor and the needy in a quest to bridge the gap that exist between the rich and the poor.
She has since challenged that she will continue with the program of helping the needy in provision of decent housing.
She told old friends she visited in Khonsolo that the heart to help the needy is in born and ought to be an attribute of any caring leader.
On agriculture, Dr. Banda said she will introduce universal farm input program that will replace the current targeted program.
The People’s Party President hinted on the need for introduction of universal Farm Input Program, saying this will help to address numerous challenges that have characterized the targeted FISP.
She said the current program has so many gaps that needs to be filled as it has only helped in creating hatred amongst people due to limited number of targeted beneficiaries.
On education, Dr. Banda said provision of quality services in education such as school blocks, teaching and learning materials, teachers houses, girls hostels, training of teachers and improvement of their social welfare is the only way that will help revive the dwindling education standards.
She said quota system would not be there if there is enough space to accommodate all in the government institutions of higher learning.
She has since called upon government to start using the withholding shelters that were constructed for use of pregnant women in some hospitals, but have not been functional since she left government.
Talking about economic transformation, Dr. Banda said potential investors would not be interested to invest in a country with no reliable energy generation.
She said the power outages the country is facing are only scaring away potential investors.
Banda said she has the key to turn around the tables in as far as power and energy generation is concerned.
She said blackouts would be water under the bridge if given an opportunity to rule the country again.
The former leader is expected to attend a dinner in her honour at Capital Hotel in Lilongwe before addressing a mass rally at Masintha ground.
She is an exploiter! she really annoys me because she uses helpless people! she messed up and left she really should stay away and not cause any more confusion in our country! She needs more money and thats why she is back!!!
Koma UYU Naye otopetsa. She needs to be arrested for Cashgate.