National Initiative for Civic Education (NICE) Public Trust and religious leaders in Balaka have decried the tendency by politicians to politicize national development programmes, stressing this suffocates efforts and energies invested to achieve them.
Father Lonely Paul Mashonga of St. Louis Montfort in Balaka has since appealed to politicians to stop bringing politics in the implementation of Malawi 2063 (MW2063) development agenda.
Mashonga expressed his sentiments on Monday during an interface NICE Public Trust organized for religious and traditional leaders and other stakeholders in the district.
The Catholic priest observed that politicians are not popularizing MW2063, but instead they have focused their energies on promoting their party manifestos.
“For many years in Malawi, when it comes to politics, what we hear more is about their manifestos. So, we want them to take this national agenda as part and parcel of their own development agenda,” he demanded.
Father Mashonga appealed to stakeholders, including politicians, religious and traditional leaders to work hand in hand for the country to achieve MW2063, emphasizing that the government alone cannot manage.
NICE Acting Executive Director Gray Kalindekafe has since commended participants to the interface meeting commended the participants to the interface for discussing development issues with open minds.
