INAUGURAL
SPEECH BY PRESIDENT PETER MUTHARIKA
INTRODUCTION
First of all,
I would like to extend a special welcome to Your Excellencies and distinguished
guests who have travelled from various countries to witness this momentous
occasion. I thank you all for coming to Malawi and it is a great honour to have
you here. Your presence is a source of inspiration to us and a demonstration of
the confidence and trust that you have in our young democracy.
My fellow
Malawians, I feel greatly humbled today to be inaugurated as the fifth
President of Malawi. A country known for Peace and Calm, Law and Order. A
country known for its hard working citizens. A country known for its political
tolerance. A country that is safe from internal and external enemies.
Today, we
begin another leg of 50 years. My fellow Malawians, the next 50 years of our
journey presents us with an opportunity to reset our priorities, rethink our
strategic focus, redefine Malawi, and make it progressive.
Today, we have
people from the North, South, Centre and East to inaugurate a new era. During
the 2014 Tripartite Elections, Malawians went to the polls to vote for change,
and change they voted for a better Malawi. Today I stand before you to offer
you, with your help a very distinct possibility of the future in our hands.
Change has come to Malawi. Yes, our vote for change was not easy, you voted for
change and victory belongs to us all.
UNITY OF
PURPOSE
My fellow
Malawians, this is not time to rest; this is not time for vengeance; this is
time to build our great Republic into the force for good that we can be. This
is time for Malawi to be strong again. Strong against marginalization, strong
against poverty and disease, strong against fraud and greed, strong against
weakness and fear.
Let us pick up
the pieces. The journey has just begun. We must strive for unity of purpose,
oneness of vision. We may belong to different political parties, but we belong
to one nation. We voted for different parties, but we all voted for
development.
It is now time
to share our common development agenda. It is time to share what binds us as
Malawians. It is time to show the World that we may differ in ideology, but we
stand together as Malawians. That we shall develop this nation together. That
we shall defend, if need be, this motherland together. We may share a divided
past, but we share a common future. We may come from different origins, but we
are heading towards the same destination. We share a common destiny.
My fellow
Malawians, today we embark on a long journey of hope, patriotism, security,
passion for country and pride to be Malawian once more. And we have come on a
long journey.
OUR FUTURE,
OUR DESTINY
Fellow
Malawians, every fifty years has brought a new era in our history. One hundred
and fifty years ago, in 1864, the first European missionaries began the idea of
creation of Nyasaland. This is the moment that began to unite tribes of the
land. One hundred years ago, in 1914, a great World War began and ignited the
spirit of independence in the dreams of our forefathers. These forefathers
faced a global super power with conviction and courage. My fellow Malawians, we
face similar challenges today.
Fifty years
ago, in 1964, Malawi was born when we became politically independent. Today, in
2014, we inaugurate the rebirth of our nation. We inaugurate the lost dreams of
our forefathers and fallen heroes. We inaugurate the spirit of economic
independence. We re-launch a new, better, stronger, proud nation once more.
The pursuit of
our dreams knows no limits, no boundaries, no skies. Our only problem is the
way we think. The only barrier to our national achievement is our Belief in
others at our expense.
My fellow
Malawians, We know that no nation was created poor by God. No nation has
license to bury its naturally endowed treasure: No country can call itself
poor.
Today, my
fellow country men and women, we declare ourselves ready for the next fifty
years. Today we get new faith and belief in ourselves. Today we begin the road
to a coherent nation of achievers.
My fellow
Malawians, the first years of the DPP in government restored faith in
ourselves. We proved that it is possible for Malawi to be the second highest
growing economy in the world. We proved that it is possible to grow abundant
food and make prices more affordable. We may not have done some things well.
But we have learnt our lessons, great lessons. We pledge to do better, to do
more, and to live the lessons of the years.
Our first task
is to create a proper economic, political and democratic system. Our task is to
re-create an environment that gives our people hope and belief once more.
SOCIAL AND
ECONOMIC SERVICES
Security for
our businesses and homes is key to sustainable national development. We intend
to restore Peace and Calm, Law and Order. I intend to over- see a Malawi that
has good road networks within the townships we live, a Malawi that does not
victimize its professional civil servants simply because of change of
Government. A Malawi which has clean cities, functional street lights, viable
public transport, visible infrastructure, good housing for our Police and Army,
strong security, jobs for our youth and college education for everyone who
passes at Malawi School Certificate of Education.
We must be a
country where critical dialogue prevails for our collective participation in
the pursuit of socio-economic development. I am therefore looking forward to
leading a listening government. It is only with a listening government that
citizens participate because people feel valued whenever we listen to them.
My fellow
Malawians, I intend to actively involve the youth in my Administration. We need
the Youth to participate. The Youth are the energy that drives any country, any
vision, any dream. It is on their shoulders that we must delve away from the
shackles of non- performance of the last few years. It is to them that I call
upon to meaningfully move into small and medium enterprises, to get an
education, to do something for themselves every day, to look up with pride and
energy and help me transform our cities into clean places, help me defend our
borders, help me move Malawi to a major force for good in this part of Africa.
We need women
to participate in our development agenda. They are the ones that build the
fabric of society. Women have always been at the core of the economic fabric of
the African society. No society, and no economic system can do without women.
My Administration intends to work with all women in utilising all of its human
resource to develop this country in the shortest period possible.
NATIONAL
RECONCILITAION
We need
collective participation in development. That is why I have extended a hand of
RECONCILIATION to my colleagues who contested for this highest office. I offer
them a new way of doing politics in Malawi: Respect, Consultation, Integrity
and Honesty. I offer them a progressive way of doing politics which should not
push us asunder, but rather bring us together. Together we can do more for each
other. Together we can do more for our communities. Together we can do more for
our country.
My fellow
Malawians, TODAY, we must begin to put interests of Country First before our
own. And you do not need to be in government in order to love, serve and
develop your country. I want you to spend one minute greeting those next to
you, promising them that from now on You will put the interest of Malawi First
above personal interest.
My fellow
Malawians, these contestants are great and patriotic sons and daughters of the
land. We were all fighting for the same thing – passion for a new direction, a
transformational Leader for genuine change, we all shared those sentiments
during the debates, We still share that common purpose to heal our country.
You voted for
me because you saw that what we need as a Country is not vengeance and pretence
but a transformational leader who would take this country to greater heights.
Greater heights, indeed I promise you.
You saw just
as I did that what we need is a unity of purpose to transform our country to a
middle income country; capable of producing and exporting once more. You saw
that what we need is development. My fellow Malawians, today we begin that
journey, TOGETHER!
My fellow
Malawians I swore to defend and protect the Constitution of Malawi and uphold
the rule of law.
I will do. But
let me make one thing clear. The law must be left alone to do its work whenever
crime is committed. We should never again arrest anyone and hunt for the crime
later. We should never again punish those we don’t like because they hold a
political view different from ours. The age of using state instruments of
justice to deal with our political opponents is gone. Let us not confuse the
pursuit of justice with political vendettas.
RULE OF LAW
Fellow
Malawians, in the last 12 months or so, there were a number of crimes committed
against the State for example the infamous cashgate scandal. I wish to state
that the cashgate investigations which Her Excellency Dr Joyce Banda started
will be pursued and concluded justly.
Malawians are
waiting to know who did what. Malawians need their plundered resources paid
back. Malawians need justice delivered and no one should blackmail the state by
saying this is witch-hunting.
The Police,
the Anti-Corruption Bureau the Directorate of Public Prosecution and other
security and law enforcement agencies are from this day free to operate
independently but, professionally.
We will fully
arm the Anti-Corruption Bureau with human and financial capacity to do its job
without the interference of the executive.
In service to
the nation, I will not tolerate one day more if a Cabinet Minister or civil
servant takes what does not belong to them. Next time you see a cabinet
minister arrested, do not be surprised. My cabinet shall live up to this
principle of being accountable to the people.
I want this
message to be very clear even before I appoint my cabinet. If what anyone wants
is to become rich instead of serving Malawians, then do not come into my
cabinet. When I appoint you, please just say ‘No’! Today, I hereby draw a red
line against corruption, theft of public funds, and I am prepared to draw this
red line with my blood.
Today, we are
launching a government that must be accountable to the people. The central
principle of democracy is that everyone must be accountable to someone else.
The rule of law follows to ensure that we are all accountable to the people and
the law.
We cannot
afford to waste time with plundering public resources. We have urgent work to
do. As I have said, our country is on the edge of collapsing. This country is
dying. Organs of government departments are in a state of paralysis. The veins
of the economy in the private sector and businesses are paralysed. The cost of
living is no longer affordable by many anymore. We cannot even afford to heal
those in pain because there is no medicine in our hospitals. It is time to get
this country functioning again. And we have no time to waste.
We shall
protect the public purse because we need to provide adequate public services.
These include quality health care to all Malawians, quality education, good
infrastructure and investing in the creation of jobs. We need to invest in the
creation of an efficient, motivated, results-oriented civil service which will
be the catalyst for the creation of wealth. Our manifesto has promised to
create new wealth, and we need a motivated and performing civil service to
deliver our policies to the people.
MEDIA AND
PUBLIC INFORMATION
Our administration
will ensure that there is access to public information and in this regard we
shall cooperate with all relevant stakeholders including the media in passing
and implementation of the Access to Information Bill into law.
We will allow
the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation operate in an open, free and fair manner,
make independent editorial decisions and I don’t want my Minister of
Information to interfere in their work. This is a promise I make to Malawi.
The era of
using the Public Broadcaster for Political mileage is gone. The era of
intransigence through use of the public broadcaster is gone.
PUBLIC SERVICE
There is no
more doing business as usual. For the first time, we shall now have a central
and local government.
This will be
the government of the people. From this year, the politics of development has
changed. With the arrival of the ward councillors, government has come to your
doorstep. I welcome all ward councillors, irrespective of your political party
into the fold of government. You are part of the government of the people. And
to you the people, make sure we do your will, provided it is the right will.
And I invite the media to ensure that we deliver our promises.
At central
government, we shall keep our promise to maintain a lean, disciplined and
efficient cabinet of 20 members. Other new measures include reorganising our
ministries for more efficiency. The new measures we bring include elevating the
Ministry of Labour to a key ministry in my government. For us, Ministry of
Labour is the engine-room for creating jobs. We must create jobs for the youth
and everyone capable.
We will
implement stern cost-cutting measures. This will include the President working
in the office more than on the road. Yes, I will come around to visit you on
state functions. But do not ask me to travel around aimlessly and spend your
state resources. I will empower all relevant officials in the public service to
do their work as they are mandated.
ECONOMIC
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
But first, we
will see to it that the economy begins to grow again. And we plan to take a
“bottom-up” approach that involves and directly benefits ordinary people. And
we plan to deliver a people centred economic growth at the rate of 7.5% in the
next five years.
What you need
is not your President being all over, but it is infrastructure development
coming all over and wherever you are. Our plans are to build a new network of
first class roads across Malawi. We need open up our rural centres to the main
roads and cities of our country so that rural areas have tarmac road access to
the rest of the country. We plan to build more rural growth centres so that we
can take development to the people.
The DPP has
already planned some of these projects. We started some of these projects
before and we want to continue and do even more.
We will revive
Malawi’s colourful dreams of Nsanje port and building new cities.
FOOD SECURITY
We plan to
ensure that every Malawian can afford adequate food, a descent house, and a
dignified means of earning a living.
You did not
vote for maize in vain. We want to make fertiliser subsidy available to all
subsistence maize farmers. We shall continue to grow surplus food to bring down
the cost of living. And we shall revive the Green Belt initiative to make
Malawi the breadbasket of Africa.
EDUCATION
It is time to
revive an education system that empowers the youth in technical and productive
skills as well as train them on how best to run their businesses. That is why
we will introduce Community Colleges to empower the youth of this country to
start creating their own wealth. This robust entrepreneurship education will
also create a new middle class which has been missing since we received independence
50 years ago.
Our education
programme also includes rehabilitating and expand existing universities while
building and opening five new universities in Mzimba, Nkhotakota, Mangochi and
Nsanje. And the forgotten MUST in Thyolo needs to properly open with high
calibre internationally recognised scholars as soon as we get settled.
SOCIAL WELFARE
My fellow
Malawians, is a Malawi without grass thatched houses possible? Yes it is.
We promised to
subsidise iron sheets and cement and we are going to do just that. This policy
will make construction easy and revive the construction industry.
A vibrant
construction industry resuscitates the economy. A vibrant construction industry
creates jobs for everyone, and it creates business for all sectors. We want to
make construction easy because every Malawian wants to afford to sleep in a
descent place.
Our street
vendors, our tomato growers and our civil servants should be able to build
houses for our mothers and fathers across those rivers, hills and villages
where we all come from. And one day, we will travel this country and see
development with our eyes everywhere.
SECURITY
As we begin a
new era today, we commit ourselves to provide Malawians with “Total Security”
so that every individual, our children, our property and businesses are safe.
We must live in a country where we all feel safe.
INTERNATIONAL
COOPERATION
This country
lives in a global community and it is no longer possible to think as if we are
an island. We need development partners from the West and the East equally,
North and South alike. Let it be known that Malawi will strive to be a friend
to everyone in the global community. Even as we protect and uphold our
sovereignty, we need each other as humankind in a common global community.
Malawi will
continue being a good and trusted partner on the international scene.
We remain committed
to the ideals of SADC, COMESA, African Union, the UN and other International
Organisations where Malawi is a member.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion
allow me to say that we voted for the rebirth of our country and a new
beginning. We voted because we believe in the best of Malawi. Today, we have
gathered with our feet here because we are ready to walk the new beginning. In
every house of our communities we have gathered before television sets because
we want to see the new beginning. Across the country, in every village, at
every trading centre, in every shop and every house, and at every veranda, we
have glued our ears to our radios because we want to hear that we have begun a
new beginning. Because this is a new beginning we must walk together.
This is the
will of the people. May the will of the people prevail as we move forward as
one nation, one country, one destiny! And may God grant us the courage to
change the things we can, the serenity to discern the things we cannot change,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
We have this
day consecrated our nation to walk the path of progress. Our future is for us
all, and we need to work for it. No nation can live for us. No country can
develop our country for us. So, let each one of us go and work hard knowing
that we have a government that will see to it that we earn as we labour. No
food for lazy man. Let us all go and roll up our sleeves and be productive with
our lives.
My fellow
Malawians, I want to thank our development partners our neighbours for being
with us at all times.
And I thank
Malawians for the spirited fight for our country to be where we are today.
May God bless
our beloved country. May God bless you all.
Thank you!
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