Malawi newspaper giant assesses president, cabinet: Avarage mark, ‘more needs to be done’

One of the titles for Malawi newspaper giant, Times Media, the Sunday Times has made a comprehensive assessment of President Peter Mutharika and his cabinet with most of the public officers getting below average marks.

Mutharika scored an average mark of five, so too the vice president Saulos Chilima.

The average five mark score, the newspaper says, means “more is expected of you.”

The newspaper, in the assessment, describes President Mutharika as a backseat leader.

Among others, the newspaper says Malawians are living in one of the toughest economic times.

“Currently there are taxes on bread andd even milk which are basic needs for Malawians.

“While Malawians are sleeping on an empty stomach, the president has lived lavishly by buying himself an expensive motorcade and even affording to fly out (on chartered plane) to receive an honorary degree whose importance to Malawians is only known within the walls of State House,” says the newspaper in its 16 page pullout.

The newspaper faults the President  for chartering a jet for his junket United Nations General Assembly in new York while millions back home stared hunger in the eye.

“Malawians’ lives are worse than they were two years ago with prices of commodities skyrocketing, an education system that is in shambles while the health sector is on its knees. All these boil down to lack of planning and lack of leadership from the top,” says the newspaper.

The newspaper also accuses President Mutharika  of failing to trim his presidential powers although he had promised to do so in the run up to the 2014 general election, failure to deal with frequent closures of public universities and rule of lawlessness and mis-governance.

“Overall, the President deserves less than the mark we have given, but as a leader of a team, he has been pulled up by the performance of some few ministers,” says the newspaper.

In summary, the newspaper singles out the bad things of Mutharika as failure leadership, war against media and poor fight against corruption and the good include assenting to the ATI Bill, improving road network and lean cabinet.

On Chilima, the newspaper says the veep managed disasters passably well and there is progress in some public reforms which he crusaded.

However, the newspaper accuses him of being lonely in a crowd and his use of parables when making a speech, saying too many parables create vagueness of message.

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