President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has assured Malawians his administration is working hard to ensure they reach their desired economic destination despite suffering a volatile economic situation.
Using an analogy, Chakwera said Malawians are passing through the trying border region between the economic wreckage of the recent and distant past and the economic breakthroughs of the near future.
He made the sentiments in Lilongwe on Thursday during the launch of the 2023 Malawi Red Cross Society (MRCS) Flag Week.
“While it is true that we are no longer under the enslavements of the past, whether it is the colonialism that oppressed our parents before 1963, or the autocracy that restricted us until 1993, or the cheap democracy that has been corrupting our children in the years before 2023, it is also true that we have not yet reached the shores of economic prosperity that are at the heart of our national destiny. In short, we are in the transitional period between the perils of the past and the promise of the future. We are in the transitional period of navigating and surviving the arid conditions of the wilderness,” said Chakwera.
“Now what does the journey of the Israelites through the wilderness between their captivity and their prosperity teach us about how to measure success in the wilderness? First, we learn that when a nation is in transition, you should not measure its success by your compromised memory of the past, to avoid the folly of thinking that your brighter days are now behind you.
“Second, we learn that when a nation is in transition, you should not measure its success by the pain we feel in the burning wilderness sun above us and the burning wilderness sands beneath us. As harsh as the arid conditions of the wilderness are, they can never suffice as the yardstick of success because those conditions are not our destiny. Thirdly, we learn that when a nation is in transition, you should not measure its success by the number of people reaching the riches of the promise land as individuals,” he added.
President Chakwera said the best way to measure the success of a nation in transition is whether it is making progress for the advancement of all its people.
But the President was quick to point out that progress cannot be achieved without unity, courage, endurance, and partnerships.
At this point, the Head of State commended the partnership that has existed the Malawi Government and MRCS since time immemorial, including the joint efforts to save lives and bring relief to climate change victims during and following the recent flooding caused by Cyclone Freddy.
“It is therefore my honour to launch the Malawi Red Cross Society Flag Week today, and to call on all Malawians to support this ongoing effort to be the first to help other Malawians in need, for even in matters of humanitarian relief, we must strive to embody the spirit of self-reliance enshrined in Malawi 2063. And as we bring that relief to those Malawians less fortunate than us, let us remember that in this transitional time we are in, our progress is measured by steps of progress, and that as long as we are making progress, we are on our way home,” said Chakwera.
