By Durell Namasani
Opposition leader and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president, Honourable Kondwani Nankhumwa, has called on President Arthur Peter Mutharika to establish a high-level, multi-sectoral Economic Recovery Task Force to address Malawi’s severe economic crisis.
In a lengthy Facebook statement, Nankhumwa acknowledged the worsening situation—eroding incomes, rising fuel and transport costs, unsustainable public debt, and chronic foreign exchange shortages. He praised government spokesperson Shadrick Namalomba for admitting the scale of the crisis, calling it “an important departure from denial.”
However, Nankhumwa took aim at the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), which has criticized the Automatic Fuel Pricing mechanism while promoting its former Government-to-Government fuel model. “Many of the economic challenges facing the country today can be traced back… to decisions made during [MCP’s] administration,” Nankhumwa wrote.
He reminded Malawians of fuel shortages under MCP and alleged siphoning of over US$20 million in public funds meant for fuel procurement—an admission he attributed to former President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera before the 2020 elections.
“It is disingenuous for the MCP to now claim moral high ground,” Nankhumwa said, urging all parties to resist political grandstanding. He proposed that President Mutharika form an inclusive task force of economists, civil society, religious leaders, and politicians to develop evidence-based solutions.
“We must move beyond finger-pointing,” Nankhumwa concluded. “Only through unity of purpose can we steer Malawi out of this crisis.”
