Leader of the Opposition Simplex Chithyola has faulted President Peter Mutharika’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) for lacking concrete measures to address some of the pressing concerns Malawians are experiencing.
He said Mutharika’s statement fell short on key economic fundamentals, youth job creation and the quality of education reforms.
Chithyola was speaking in an interview Friday after Mutharika delivered the statement in Parliament.
He said the President should have clearly addressed both the demand and supply sides of maize pricing, warning that current policy choices risk undermining production.
“What is the cost of producing a kilogram of maize versus the price at which it is sold?
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“If production costs are higher than market prices, productivity will inevitably suffer — not because farmers are unwilling, but because the returns do not justify the investment,” Chithyola asked.
He argued that government policies appear contradictory, with farmers buying fertilizer at high prices, producing maize at high cost, only for the government to buy it back at lower prices.
“That is effectively killing production,” he said.
Chithyola said maize should be viewed not only as a staple food for controlling inflation but also as a cash crop for commercial farmers along the value chain.
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On education, Chithyola said the announcement of free secondary education should be judged by implementation and quality rather than symbolism.
He said while tuition fees have been scrapped off in some schools, parents remain burdened by boarding fees, which constitute the largest share of secondary school costs.
He also questioned whether the system has the capacity to absorb returning learners and improve long-term learning outcomes.
Chithyola further said Mutharika’s statement did not show the government prioritizes job creation for young people entering the labour market.
“Graduates need renewed hope that opportunities will be created,” he said.
In the address, Mutharika described labour as one of Malawi’s most valuable resources.
As part of job creation initiative, he said his administration would invest in operations of existing community colleges and construction of news ones, continue with graduate internship programme and allocate K100 million soft loans for the youth in every constituency, every year, starting this coming financial year.
While acknowledging that the address highlighted the four Fs — fertilizer, food, forex, and fuel – of the administration’s recovery agenda, Chithyola noted that the Sona’s admission that foreign exchange reserves remain low calls for urgent, domesticated measures to address the challenge.
He said Mutharika missed an opportunity to address governance concerns, including what he described as “habitual arrests”.
But he also welcomed Mutharika’s proposal to tap into carbon financing and mining to bolster Malawi’s revenue.
“For now, this is our quick reaction.
“The comprehensive response will outline practical measures that Malawians expect to see implemented,” he said.
Malawi Health Equity Network Executive Director George Jobe described the address as encouraging, particularly on the decision to increase the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to K5 billion.
He said this could improve health service delivery and access at the community level.
However, Jobe called for more focus on the ongoing shortage of essential medicines in public health facilities.
He said despite the positive development priorities mentioned in the speech, Malawians expect clear actions to resolve this critical issue.
Chairperson for Human Rights Defenders Coalition, Michael Kaiyatsa, also welcomed Mutharika’s stance on corruption but emphasized the need for concrete actions rather than just words.
Kaiyatsa called for visible, consistent and impartial action plan.
He highlighted the slow movement of corruption cases involving senior officials.
He also said the austerity measures Mutharika articulated are important as they signal commitment to shared sacrifice and the prudent use of public resources.
Ultimately, he said, their effectiveness will be judged by how they benefit vulnerable citizens.
“Economic adjustment should not shift the burden onto ordinary citizens who are already facing high living costs and reduced access to basic necessities.
“In this regard, HRDC stresses that austerity must begin with responsible management of public expenditure and visible leadership by example,” he said.
Pemphero Malimba and Wezzie Gausi contributed to this report
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