Renowned business tycoon and People’s Progressive Movement president, Mark Katsonga- Phiri, has asked President Peter Mutharika and his Cabinet to resign and pave way for capable people to transform the country.
Katsonga told The Daily Times on Wednesday that Mutharika, just like his late brother Bingu, has failed to bring the much-needed economic transformation to the country.
But the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has since dismissed Katsonga’s call, urging him to wait for the 2019 Presidential Election if he harbours any ambition to rule the country.
Katsonga made the remarks when he commented on the country’s state of security following Thursday murder of Anti-Corruption Bureau Director of Finance and Administration Issah Njauju in Lilongwe.
He said lack of security is disastrous to the country’s economic growth as it threatens investment.
Said Katsonga: “Let’s forget whatever government is doing in trying to attract investors because insecurity is so high. I would not myself go into a country to be killed. So, I consider the lapse in security a very big drawback in whatever government is doing to attract investors.
“The economy is bad, security is bad and that puts us in a very awkward position. The only way Malawi can move out of this situation is to put a new government in place; these guys have failed.”
According to Katsonga, this is not the first time DPP has failed the country.
He said for the past 10 years, DPP failed the country during the 8-years leadership of late Bingu Wa Mutharika and one-year of Professor Peter Mutharika.
And asked what the country can do for Malawi to develop in the second half of the century which started Monday 6 July 2015, Katsonga insisted that the Mutharika government should pack and go if the country is to transform.
“Malawians should get a new government in place, that’s my advice. Otherwise, you will be wasting time with this government because they failed before and they are also failing now,” he said.
But DPP Publicity Secretary, Francis Kasaila, said it is only the Constitution that stipulates circumstances under which the incumbent President and his government can resign.
“In Malawi, we have the Constitution which clearly stipulates under what circumstances an elected leader can resign. There is no provision where the whole ruling party would resign in as far as the Constitution is concerned.
“So, if Mr Katsonga would like to get into government, our advice is to ask him to wait for 2019 and let Malawians vote him because you don’t get into government through the backdoor. You have to wait,” he said.
According to Kasaila, since DPP assumed power, Mutharika is working to support the police to make sure that they have the capacity to handle every situation.
The DPP publicist also said the President directed the Ministry of Finance to procure new vehicles for the police which has since been done.
“We are working hard to raise the morale of our police officers which is a positive development and, currently, we can see our police officers patrolling our cities. So our call to Katsonga and the PPM is that if they have ideas, they have to come forward. Otherwise, calling for government’s resignation is a total waste of time,” Kasaila said.
Unknown criminals killed Njauju, burnt his vehicle and buried his body near New State House in Lilongwe, raising fears among Malawians on the state of security in the country.
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