HRDC worried about corruption fight pace
The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has said it is concerned that there are “many” unresolved corruption cases in the country.
HRDC made the observation during a meeting the coalition’s leadership had with President Lazarus Chakwera at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe on Wednesday.
A statement which the rights body has issued, signed by its chairperson Gift Trapence, says Malawi needs to recover and get to the bottom of misprocurement of fertiliser meant for the Affordable Inputs Programme (AIP).
“We demanded urgent resolution of these issues and the return of the funds to Treasury. Moreover, we urged the government to professionally manage the next AIP cycle by ensuring early preparations to safeguard Malawians’ right to food,” the statement reads.
It adds that HRDC further talked about the severe impact the “battered economy” has had on ordinary Malawians, with the shortage of foreign exchange leading to unaffordable prices of goods.
“We called upon the President to ensure that his government fulfils its campaign promises to generate investments that create employment opportunities.
“Additionally, we urged the government to prioritise high-impact development projects that would stimulate private sector growth,” the statement says.
The rights body, according to the statement, also asked Chakwera to pay close attention to the supply of forex and fuel and address the debt crisis, among other issues.
“He assured us that his government would make efforts to curb excessive borrowing and prevent the debt from spiralling beyond control,” it says.
During the meeting, Chakwera reportedly appealed to human rights activists to be vigilant in demanding people’s rights by, among other acts, tracking development and progress of various projects.
Presidential Press Secretary Anthony Kasunda said the President requested HRDC to support the government by monitoring infrastructure projects and providing regular reports.
“The President invited the HRDC leadership to discuss with them how they can support the government, especially by monitoring infrastructure projects and giving regular reports on what is causing delays in the completion of some of these projects, for him to facilitate their expedition,” Kasunda said.
Kasunda added that Chakwera noted that civil society organisations play a vital role in helping Malawians access the deserved development through various projects in the country.
“The President’s efforts are to ensure that infrastructure projects are completed in time and benefit Malawians as the country works tirelessly to fast-track economic development and attain middle-income status,” he said.
