The Society of Malawians in Botswana (SOMABO) president Gabriel Guta has said Malawians living in the diaspora are disappointed with the current President Lazarus Chakwera’s leadership, citing economic struggles that people have been facing since 2020.
In an interview with The Atlas, Guta has since urged Malawians to vote wisely in the forthcoming general elections.
“We had hopes with Chakwera when he was taking over; however, we in the diaspora are very disappointed with what we have achieved during this tenure. People are far, much poorer than they were five years ago. Every sector is struggling; people are now getting used to economic problems.
“Being an election year, we are just hoping for the best. We are hopeful that Malawians will choose someone who is going to turn around things. I don’t support any candidate, but I want this to change because one day, we will come back home hoping that things will be okay,” he said.
Guta said the main problem of those elected is that they have the appetite of the stomach; during the campaign period, they come up with food ideas, but once elected, they think only of their stomachs.
“We trust that people are now able to see the qualities of leadership that Malawians need. Though a lot of electorates are driven by illiteracy and poverty, we are hoping that this time around people will do better, though it is a tall order.
“As people in the diaspora, we try our best to survive, but we always think of our brothers and sisters back home. Those who are languishing in the villages because they can’t afford basic needs. Malawians are hard-working people; with good leadership, things can improve easily. We need good education standards, be it in agriculture and mining.
“If we have a good economy, people will not be forced to travel, even without passports, to South Africa or Botswana for greener pastures. It only happens in a rotten society. We want the best out of Malawi because it is our home. One day, we will come back, whether alive or dead; this is our home,” he said.
