CHRR, YPU criticize SONA
Chakwera in Parliament
The Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) has described President Lazarus Chakwera’s fifth and final State of the Nation Address (SONA) as a missed opportunity.
Chakwera delivered the address in Parliament while opening the first session of the 51st Parliament, which also serves as the budget meeting.
According to CHRR Executive Director Michael Kaiyatsa, the President should have used the opportunity to address the ongoing socio-economic challenges affecting ordinary Malawians.
He further stated that the SONA should have provided a report on key government initiatives previously announced by the President, such as job creation, wealth generation, and solutions to inflation and food insecurity, rather than turning it into a campaign speech.
“The President did well by detailing development projects across all districts since he took office. However, we expected him to also present concrete plans to address ongoing challenges and assess the implementation of commitments made in previous SONAs,” said Kaiyatsa.
Meanwhile, one of Malawi’s youth advocates has described the address as disappointing for young people.
Clement Makuwa, the National Coordinator for the Young Politicians Union of Malawi, argued that the address failed to tackle the pressing challenges facing the youth.
He noted that Chakwera should have highlighted specific initiatives aimed at supporting struggling young men and women and evaluated the success of previous interventions.
While acknowledging that the statement gave a glimpse into the government’s achievements, Makuwa said it fell short of young people’s expectations.
“Young people continue to face numerous challenges, and for the President to speak for nearly two hours without addressing them or outlining plans is unbelievable,” he said.
This was Chakwera’s fifth and final State of the Nation Address in his first term as President of Malawi.
On Monday, leaders of political parties in Parliament are expected to respond to the address, followed by comments from Members of Parliament.
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