LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The country’s good governance thinktank National Advocacy Platform (NAP) has urged President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse alliance government to act decisively on concerns Malawi Catholic Church Bishops have raised.
In a press statement issued on Monday, February 26, 2024, and signed by NAP chairperson Benedicto Kondowe observes that the clergy raised issues of national importance that cannot be overlooked.
“As the National Advocacy Platform (NAP), we stand at the forefront of advocating for the rights and welfare of all Malawians. While recognizing the positive strides of the Tonse government, we cannot overlook the urgent concerns voiced in the recent pastoral letter from the Catholic Bishops of Malawi and echoed by various stakeholders.
Kondowe urges Chakwera Tonse government to act on bishops concerns
“The government must take heed of the call for cautious action on issues such as governance, corruption, and leadership accountability. Despite commendable efforts, there remain significant challenges that demand immediate attention and decisive action,” reads the NAP statement in part.
Kondowe urges, “We call upon the government to demonstrate servant leadership and empathy towards the daily struggles of Malawians. The voices of the marginalized and vulnerable must not only be heard but acted upon through concrete steps to address their needs.
“Furthermore, while acknowledging the achievements of the Tonse government, we stress the importance of remaining vigilant and proactive in addressing concerns highlighted by the Bishops and NAP in previous statements and engagements”.
He adds, “Only by doing so can we ensure sustained progress and prosperity for all citizens. As we envision the future, let us collaborate in building a nation grounded in integrity, justice, and peace. The National Advocacy Platform remains steadfast in championing the interests of all Malawians and holding our leaders accountable.
“May our collective efforts pave the way for a brighter future for every Malawian.NAP eagerly anticipates constructive dialogue on the concerns raised not only in the pastoral letter but also by similar voices and stakeholders”.
In the pastoral letter issued on Sunday, February 25, 2024, Catholic bishops accused Chakwera’s Tonse leadership of failing to take advice in running affairs of the state.
The men of God compared Malawi at present to Bagamoyo, a slavery point in Tanzania during the colonial era when life was hard for ordinary people.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-It does not rain for President Lazarus Chakwera, but it pours as the influential Catholic Bishops have declared that he cannot listen to any advice; hence, talking to him is “fruitless.” They say Malawi is now a sad story.
The hard-hitting pastoral letter declares that President Chakwera has failed Malawians and failed to change as many hoped.
The country has been taken to an ancient slave trade market, “Bagamoyo”, in Tanzania, instead of the promised Canaan.
Our leaders need to stop being greedy and serve the people that put them into power,” say the 10 Bishops representing all the Roman Catholic Church diocese in Malawi
“We cannot continue this way as a nation. Our leaders need to stop being greedy and serve the people that put them into power,” say the 10 Bishops representing all the Roman Catholic Church diocese in Malawi. The Catholic Church is the largest church by membership in the country.
The Bishops Lantern Letter, read in all Catholic Church, agrees with The Investigator Magazine’s assessment of President Chakwera and his Malawi Congress Party reign, saying Malawians now realise the promises that were made in 2020 during the campaign were merely rhetoric.
“We have privately engaged the State President several times. Still, we fail to see any positive change in the general governance of our dear Malawi or any improvement in the plight of our poor brothers and sisters across the country,” The Bishops condemn Chakwera’s inability to listen.
They said they warned the government that poor leadership would cost Malawi a lot and that instead, the president and his fellow politicians have become “salesmen” who are always selling new promises without fulfilling the old ones.
Empty speeches from Chakwera
The Bishops condemn excess travelling by the Government, draining public funds in allowances and payments to suppliers whose cases are under investigation or in courts at the time Malawians are facing foreign exchange shortages.
They told the Catholic faithful that President Chakwera’s advisors at State House are linked to some of the dubious deals, and rent-seeking from suppliers is part of the current administration’s core work, including the issuance of sovereign guarantees to dubious suppliers.
“We have seen a journalist go into hiding for merely telling the nation the truth about the military’s transactions with an individual who is under investigation for corruption. Is it an attempt at taking us back to the one-party style of dictatorship,” asks the bishops.
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The letters point out nepotism under the President as he appears to favour one tribe or region, hiding civil service reform reports and devaluation, and that the Tonse Alliance seems not to care at all about any of the promises made to the people.
“The suffering in the villages has worsened. Some families face starvation, as they could not afford fertiliser that was on the market and further problems due to erratic rains. Parents/guardians cannot afford school/college fees,” states the letter.
Corruption is everywhere, including Judiciary.
Corruption is still rampant, declares the Bishops, indirectly telling the President what The Investigator Magazine told him- he is a champion of corruption.
“From the top down, people with high connections are unjustly turning into multimillionaires overnight to the detriment of the majority of people who are being kept in grinding poverty. Sadly, corruption has seeped into all areas of life in Malawi,” commiserates the Catholic leaders.
They say under President Chakwera, there has been a systematic dismantling of accountability institutions, which have now been rendered useless.
They take years to hear a case, yet the Judiciary does nothing to discipline them
“The fight against corruption has been allowed to collapse. Shame on those who have allowed this to happen! What remains is the game of make-believe, the mere appearance of fighting corruption. People are not fooled by this,” The Bishops lament.
On Malawi’s Judiciary, the Bishops say it has “abandoned its integrity” and has now embroiled itself in corruption and partisanship.
“The Price of judges and magistrates is no longer a taboo; it is an open secret that some lawyers thrive by bribing judges and magistrates to defeat the ends of justice. Some judges and magistrates are accountable to no one. They take years to hear a case, yet the Judiciary does nothing to discipline them,” charge the men of the collar.
Get involved in 2025; Bishops tell faithful.
The Bishops warn against any move to change the 50 +1 electoral system for the President, saying it is the same as attempts in 2002 to change the constitution to enable a third term for the President. This signals that the Church would take the same position as it did during the third-term debate.
The Bishops ask Malawians to be involved in elections, saying everyone should take part to elect a proper government.
The bishops have urged Malawians to take part in the forthcoming General elections
“Politicians can use the media, money, power and government/party machinery in devious ways to secure votes,” warn the Bishops.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Malawi Catholic Church through the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) has blamed Malawians for putting in power people who can not govern properly.
The blame comes amid social-economic ills Malawians are encountering under President Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse Alliance administration.
In the latest pastoral letter ECM issued on Sunday, February 25, 2024 and led in all churches across country, Catholic Bishops for the eight dioceses plus two auxiliary bishops observe that Malawians are in trouble due to failed leader including Chakwera.
The Catholic Bishops note that instead of arriving at the ‘Promised Land’, the current administration has taken Malawians to ‘Bagamoyo’, a city on the east coast of Tanzania where a slave would lose all hope of being free again.
“We are witnessing a serious lack of credible and visionary leadership in the country. This is the root cause of all the problems we now face,” reads the letter in part.
The pastoral letter therefore calls on Malawians to cooperate with God to get out of the mess brought by the Tonse Alliance government.
The bishops have also raised concerns on corruption fight, their ‘fruitless’ engagements with the President, nepotism and corruption and partisanship in the judiciary.
Other issues include intraparty squabbles, victimisation of the elderly and the need to respect and care for creation.
However, the conference says God has not abandoned Malawians but requires their cooperation to actively and wisely participate in next year’s elections.
The pastoral letter titled: ‘The sad story of Malawi,’ has come on the second Sunday of Lent and is expected to be read out in all Catholic churches today.
Chakwera Tonse Alliance Government is yet to comment on the critical issues contained in the pastoral letter.
Malawians have been grappling with high cost of living, inflation, shortage of forex, fuel, drugs in public hospitals under Chakwera leadership.
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