CHAKWERA CALLS FOR ECONOMIC FREEDOM AT BLANTYRE MEGA RALLY

President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, who is also the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) presidential candidate in the September 16 General Election, on Sunday addressed a mammoth crowd at Njamba Freedom Park in Blantyre, where he outlined his vision of achieving economic freedom for Malawians. Speaking to thousands of supporters, President Chakwera said his administration’s next term will focus on initiatives designed to lift living standards through food security, lower commodity prices, and wider access to financial support for entrepreneurs.

“Under food security, I plan to support food-insecure households with bags of maize and rice. During the last rain season, I already distributed tons of relief maize and rice to households,” said Chakwera. He highlighted measures including reducing the cost of fertiliser, constructing food reserves in all regions, and promoting mega farms to boost production. The President added that investments in durable road and railway infrastructure and the construction of new factories would further reduce the cost of living by easing transport costs and creating jobs. Chakwera also pledged to expand the National Economic Empowerment Fund (NEEF) so that more Malawians, especially the youth and women, can access loans to grow small businesses and generate wealth. “As we head to the polls, I urge all Malawians to maintain peace and unity, for it is through peace that progress is protected,” he said. Minister of Local Government and MCP Secretary General Richard Chimwendo Banda described Chakwera as a “machine of development,” citing major projects such as the construction of durable tarmac roads, a state-of-the-art cancer centre, health posts, and classroom blocks across the country.

Senior Chief Kapeni of Blantyre echoed this sentiment, thanking President Chakwera for delivering key infrastructure projects in his area, including the 200-hectare Mkawinda irrigation scheme, which is helping address food shortages and increase farmer incomes. The Njamba Mega Rally marks a key moment in Chakwera’s campaign, reinforcing the MCP’s promise of building a Malawi anchored on prosperity, peace, and development for all.