MALAWI

KARONGA-Malani Mtonga has praised President Peter Mutharika in Parliament saying he was a “God-sent leader” who his visionary to develop Malawi beyond recognition despite taking the reigns of power from Joyce Banda at a challenging time when Malawi had lost donors confidence due to cash gate and the floods that hit the nation resulting in drought.
“Let me thank God for giving us leaders in Malawi at such times like this. The President, you as the Speaker of this House from Karonga Nyungwe and the Chief Justice Nyirenda from Usisya, taking these high offices of leadership is something that people of Karonga also appreciate. They do appreciate because you are visionary leaders. It is very important to note that you are not there on your own but it was the finger of God that pointed you. When God’s finger is upon you, no man, no devil and no hell can remove you,” said Mtonga who is also a preacher and former religious adviser to late president Bingu wa Mutharika.



Mtonga cited the Holy Bible that “where there is no vision, people perish,” saying President Mutharika had a vision o ensure food security when he said that no one is going to die of hunger in Malawi.
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in this House, we stood and said we should sell maize outside the country. It was an element of lack of vision that we were showing by asking the State President to sell maize outside because by now, we could have been in problems,” he said.
Mtonga said Mutharika’s visionary leadership had that foresight to see that at such a time like this, Malawi will need maize.



“Those with vision are people who put the nation like Malawi first unlike those without the vision who put their own needs and interest first. We see the President putting Malawi first because we have seen a number of things that are happening,” he said.
But Mtonga’s statement attracted point of order from Rumphi East MP Kamlepo Kalua (PP) who asked why Church and Bible issues are being discussed instead of Mid-Term Budget Review Statement.
And Lilongwe North East MP Maxwell Thyolera of Malawi Congress Party (MCP)also asked if it is in order for Mtonga to “ insinuate that telling people to grow enough maize, keep some for consumption and sell the surplus is lack of vision?”



He said : “ This is so because even our extension workers tell farmers to grow more maize and keep enough for consumption and sell the surplus. The same applies to a country when it has enough food and the surplus is sold to other countries. Is that lack of vision? “
But Speaker Richard Msowoya said he is not a development economist and that Mtonga could be speaking “from the point of view of his professional upbringing. I would not argue.”
Continuing with his remarks, Mtonga said without vision one cannot see that the construction projects like Nkhata Bay Road, Rumphi-Hewe Road, and the Njakwa-Livingstonia.