By Vincent GundeThe Concerned Citizens of Malawi under the banner the People Power Movement, have written a letter to President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera demanding for immediate dismissal of Minister of Finance Simplex Chithyola Banda and Secretary to the Treasury Professor Betchani Tcheleni.
The Concerned Citizens have claimed that the current state of the country’s economy has declined alarmingly since the appointment of Chithyola as Minister of Finance and Professor Tcheleni as Secretary to the Treasury.
They say Chithyola and Tcheleni have regrettably fallen short of the expectations required to steer the country toward economic recovery and growth demanding fresh and capable leaders who will prioritize the welfare of the people.
In a letter dated 7th November, 2024 signed by two activists Comrades Edwards Kambanje and Oliver Nakoma, the Concerned Citizens have urged President Chakwera to take decisive action by dismissing the two from their respective positions and bring in those that possesses the expertise needed to steer the economy back on course.
In the letter, the Concerned Citizens have given President Chakwera a two-week period to make the necessary changes with a warning that should their plea go unheeded, they are prepared to organize a peaceful vigil at Capital Hill to further express their concerns.
“We have seen no substantial initiatives from the Finance Ministry to address these pressing issues that have rocked the country,” reads the letter in part.
The Concerned Citizens have claimed that Mr. Chithyola Banda’s inexperience and limited connections outside the Ministry, have hindered his ability to address the complex economic challenges the country is facing.
They say Malawians have suffered through an unprecedented rate of inflation, fuel shortages, and skyrocketing costs of living leaving the citizens struggling to afford basic necessities, with no tangible solutions.
The Citizens say instead, the hardships have only been worsened by in effective fiscal policies, questionable financial decisions and lack of accountability that has deepened the crisis noting with a great concern that Professor Tcheleni’s impact on tackling the country’s financial challenges, remain minimal.
