By Chisomo Phiri
Malawi’s Former Vice President from 2004 to 2009 and the leader for Assembly for Democracy and Development (ADD) Cassim Chilumpha says most of the challenges rocking Malawi are man-made.
Chilumpha, made the remarks at a political rally his party held at Lunzu Catholic Primary School ground in Blantyre on Sunday.
Among others, the former Veep singled out food insecurity and corruption as some of the major challenges dragging Malawi behind in terms of development.
On food insecurity,he said most of small-scale farmers in the country do not afford farm inputs, like fertilizer, which affects their farm yields a thing which contributes to national food insecurity.
Chilumpha also accused authorities in the current Tonse Alliance administration for being too rhetorical on the fight against corruption saying the trend is fueling the vice in the country.
He said there is need to find lasting solutions to the challenges that are affecting the country’s development.
He however, demanded the Tonse Alliance government to step down; arguing it has failed.
“I have the answers to all the challenges and will be dealt with come 2025 and beyond,” he promised though his party is yet to have a serious national impacts.
Chilumpha fell short of explaining how he intends to deal with these problems if elected as state president.
Other speakers at the rally also took turns in accusing the current regime of failing to manage state affairs and giving the country a right direction towards transformation.
For instance, ADD treasurer general Iman Khan argued Chilumpha is among the pioneers of Malawi’s democracy with vast experience in running state affairs.
“He also managed to deal with load-shedding and lack of fuel during his ministerial time as minister of energy and mining respectively during Joyce Banda’s era, “said Khan.
Chilumpha and businessman Yusuf Matumula were arrested in May 2006 on allegations of hiring assassins from South Africa to assassinate former president late Bingu wa Mutharika.
Bingu and Chilumpha fell out in 2005 after the former had left the United Democratic Front(UDF) , a party that sponsored him into power in 2004, to form his Democratic Progressive Party(DPP).
But after 17 years of waiting for his fate, High Court discharged him unconditionally from his treason case in October this year.
In her ruling dated October 18, 2023, Judge Ruth Chinangwa argued that the State had showed no willingness to prosecute the matter having remained dormant for over 15 years.
