Malawi President Outlines Obstacles to Governance Reform in State of the Nation Address

Malawi-In his state of the nation address on Friday, Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera spoke about the need for inclusive, responsive, and accountable government, and the importance of delivering public services that benefit all Malawians.

However, he also acknowledged the obstacles that have impeded progress in this area for decades.

Chakwera identified a range of systemic, historical, and cultural obstacles that have hindered efforts to improve public service delivery.

These include dysfunctional procurement processes, corruption and theft across all branches of government, redundant payment systems, an overstretched justice system, political sabotage by public servants, and rent-seeking behaviour by some officials.

He also noted the lack of coordination between government ministries, inconsistent standards of service in public places like hospitals and police stations, and the absence of regulation and enforcement in various sectors.

Chakwera stressed the need to confront and remove these obstacles in order to translate economic gains into a better life for all Malawians.

He acknowledged that fixing all broken public services at once was not possible due to resource limitations and emphasized the need to prioritize activities for each portfolio of public services.

“This broken sewer of chaos cannot be left uncorrected, Madam Speaker,” said the president.

The president's speech underscores the challenges facing Malawi as it seeks to reform its governance structures and improve public service delivery.