President Chakwera's Independence Day message: A New Malawi Is Rising

Malawi: Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has urged citizens and development partners to focus on the fact that "A New Malawi Is Rising," as the country holds a National Worship Service in Lilongwe to commemorate Malawi's 58th Independence Anniversary.

“On this 58th Commemoration of Malawi’s Independence Day, we stand at a crossroads as a nation. We stand in the valley of decision, and we must make a choice,” said the Malawi leader.

Malawians, according to Chakwera, must choose their approach to national development, whether they will sit in the stands as individual spectators pointing out problems in their midst or run on the field as one team to help Malawi achieve its goal of self-reliance and prosperity.

He said: “We must choose what our attitude towards our fellow citizens will be, whether to mock Malawians who keep trying to make a difference even after failing publicly or to cheer them on and ignite their faith in the success that will be theirs if they do not give up.”

Chakwera said, above all, Malawians must choose what story they will tell about themselves and their country to each other and the rest of the world, whether it is that Malawi is sinking in the quicksand of the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change impacts, toxic debt, corruption, and the negative effects of foreign wars, or that A New Malawi Is Rising.

“Today, I am calling on all Malawians everywhere, here at home and abroad, to join hands in declaring through words and deeds that show the world that A New Malawi Is Rising,” said Chakwera.

Chakwera also urged all of Malawi's development partners to abandon the failed policy of viewing Malawi as a victim who must be kept in a toxic relationship of donor-and-beggar or servant-and-supervisor, and instead to listen to Malawians and join them in demonstrating to the world that A New Malawi Is Rising.

He said: “I call on all public servants in all our public institutions here at home and foreign missions abroad to give and sacrifice themselves fully to quality service delivery that shows the world that A New Malawi Is Rising.”

Download Chakwera’s speech below: