By Brenda Kayo:
The European Union (EU) has donated two vehicles to strengthen civic education and extend outreach to communities under the Boma Lathu (Our Government) programme.
EU Ambassador Daniel Aristi Gaztelumendi said Tuesday that the vehicles would enable civic education officers to reach hard-to-access communities and provide more Malawians with information about their rights and responsibilities.
He said the donation would help widen public participation in governance and development.
“Civic education plays an important role in empowering citizens to understand democratic principles, participate meaningfully in public affairs and hold duty-bearers accountable,” Gaztelumendi said.
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The Boma Lathu programme seeks to strengthen civic participation and improve engagement between citizens and authorities at community level.
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Ben Phiri, who received the vehicles, urged officials to ensure they are used strictly for civic education activities.
Phiri said the vehicles should not be diverted to unrelated activities and called for accountability in the management of public resources.
The minister also condemned the destruction of public infrastructure by some citizens, saying democratic rights should not be used to justify damage to public property.
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He said public infrastructure was developed using taxpayers’ money and that damaged facilities had to be repaired using resources that could otherwise support development projects.
“Citizens forget that the same infrastructure they are destroying was constructed using their own taxes. Government will have to use the same taxpayers’ money to replace what has been destroyed, yet that money could have been used for other development purposes,” Phiri said.
He said citizens have the right to express themselves and participate in democratic processes but should use established civic and democratic channels to raise concerns and demand accountability.
“If democracy is described as everyone doing whatever they want in the name of exercising their rights, then that democracy is not good. Democracy should come with responsibility,” Phiri said.
