Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Malawi Voice
Published on 2024-03-14 15:03:29
The key findings paint a concerning picture for President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera and his Vice President Dr. Saulosi Klaus Chilima. According to recent surveys, nearly nine out of 10 Malawians believe that the country is heading in the wrong direction, marking a significant 39-percentage-point increase since 2012. Additionally, a large majority of citizens have negative attitudes towards the economic conditions in the country, with 85% describing the economic situation as either “fairly bad” or “very bad,” and 74% expressing similar sentiments about their personal living conditions. Looking towards the future, there is an overwhelming sense of pessimism among Malawians, as only 16% believe that things will improve in the next 12 months, while a staggering 63% expect conditions to worsen.
Furthermore, over eight in 10 citizens feel that the government is performing poorly in terms of managing the economy and other key economic tasks. The management of the economy ranks at the top of the list of most important issues that Malawians want the government to address. This indicates a significant lack of confidence in the current administration’s ability to effectively handle economic challenges and improve the living conditions of the people.
The survey also revealed that a significant portion of the population experienced financial hardships in the past year, with almost two-thirds of citizens reporting going without a cash income many times or always, and 35% frequently lacking adequate food. Moreover, nearly four in 10 Malawians experienced high levels of lived poverty, while another 38% experienced moderate lived poverty during the same period.
In light of these grim findings, the question arises as to whether President Chakwera and Vice President Chilima can successfully address and reverse the current economic and social challenges facing Malawi within a relatively short period of 16 months. The pressure is on for the government to implement effective policies and initiatives that will improve the economic situation, reduce poverty levels, and restore the confidence of the Malawian people in their leadership.
Malawi Voice will be providing further updates and reactions from the government concerning these findings in the near future. It remains to be seen how the administration will respond to the pressing issues highlighted in the survey and whether they can deliver on their promises to bring about positive change for the country and its citizens.
Read the original article on Malawi Voice
