By Chisomo Phiri
President of the United Democratic Front (UDF),Atupele Muluzi,has called on Malawians to focus on structural reforms rather than short-term fixes, saying the country’s challenges are rooted in systemic failure.
In an interview with 247 Malawi News, Muluzi said Malawi does not have a shortage of speeches but rather a shortage of structural reform.
He highlighted several persistent national challenges, including inflation above 30 percent, ongoing foreign exchange shortages, recurring food insecurity, and frequent corruption scandals, saying these are not accidents but predictable results of a system that has not been fundamentally reformed.
Muluzi said the past attempts to fix Malawi through subsidies, new programmes, and political promises have failed because the underlying system continues to falter.
He said the country must now move from managing decline to engineering national renewal, with a clear focus on fixing the system through full digitisation of public procurement, real-time expenditure tracking, performance contracts for senior officials, and faster corruption prosecutions.
He also stressed the need to build productive capacity through initiatives such as a National Solar Irrigation Grid, mega-farm commercial clusters, strategic mineral development, and increased domestic value addition.
In addition, Muluzi emphasized investing in the future by expanding fibre-optic access to every district, establishing remote work hubs for young people, and reforming Technical, Entrepreneurial and Vocational Education and Training (TEVET ) to support mining, energy, and digital skills development.
He said Malawians are not looking for louder criticism but rather a government that works, an economy that produces, and institutions they can trust.
Muluzi concluded by urging immediate action, saying the country can either continue with business as usual or undertake structural reforms that will unlock Malawi’s potential.
He said he chooses reform, production, and a capable Malawian state, adding that the time to begin is now.