President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera says sectors and institutions that make up Malawi society must work closely in full cooperation to ensure that the nation achieves sustainable and inclusive development.
He made the remarks on Saturday in Mangochi during the golden jubilee celebrations for Mangochi Diocese. The event also coincided with 25th anniversary commemoration of priesthood and ordination of new priests in the diocese.
“If the vision of an inclusively wealthy self-reliant industrialized upper middle-income economy as spelled out in Malawi 2063 is going to be achieved, we must have every hand to the plow, whether in Government, or the Church, or the Private Sector,” he said.
He urged Malawians to abandon a spirit of individualism and instead embrace togetherness in times of both celebration and suffering, saying every Malawian must practice oneness and togetherness as it is a character for the nation which must be practiced and protected.
Chakwera also urged Malawians to reject the dismissal of the relevance of any citizen to the development of Malawi.
“I know that it has become fashionable, in recent times, especially when things go really well or things go really badly, to give all the credit or cast all the blame on government and its officials,” lamented the president.
But he said Malawians must resist such a mindset as it encourages and reinforces the false perception that the only people who matter and contribute to the development of Malawi are those in public office.
The Malawi leader said if the country is to attain an inclusively wealthy, self-reliant and industrialised upper-middle income economy as spelt out in the Malawi 2063, every Malawian, whether from the church, private sector or government, must equally participate in the development process.