Chakwera tells citizens to supplement prayer with hard work

LILONGWE – Malawi President, Lazarus Chakwera, has appealed to citizens to supplement prayer with hard work if the nation is to enjoy success and development any time.

Speaking at the occasion to celebrate the nation’s 57 years of independence from white minority rule, Chakwera said if prayer alone was key to success, Malawi would have been a prosperous nation. 

“Allow me to begin with a quote from my own address a year ago, “While our mothers and fathers accomplished their goals of national liberation and their sons and daughters accomplished their goals of political liberation, it is your generation that must accomplish the goal of economic liberation.” 

“It is this idea of this economic liberation that inspired the theme of this year’s independence day ‘Building An Inclusive Wealth and Self-Reliant Nation’ the clergy prefers building an inclusive, prosperous and self-reliant nation. 

“It is this idea of this economic liberation that inspired the vision of Malawi 2063. It is this idea of this economic liberation that inspired the goals of our manifesto. That idea is that the goal of our independence was not merit to us free to govern ourselves but also free to better ourselves. 

“That idea is that independence is not merely about liberty but also about prosperity. That idea is that independence is about each of us making Malawi better. 

“Making Malawi better for other citizens, making Malawi better for our neighbours, making Malawi better for our children, making Malawi better for our visitors, making Malawi better for our posterity. 

“If we are serious about achieving economic liberation, then we must apply ourselves everyday to some tasks or enterprise that makes Malawi better. To achieve economic liberation, we must do the one and only thing that leads to prosperity, that one and only thing is productivity. 

“Productivity is the only thing that leads to prosperity. A man who produces nothing of use with his hands cannot prosper, a family that produces nothing of use in its own field cannot prosper, a factory that  produces nothing of use by its machines cannot prosper, a company that produces nothing of use by its workers cannot prosper, a country that produces nothing of use by its industry cannot prosper,” he said.

“To achieve the economic liberation our independence was meant for, we need more and better production from all sectors which means we need more and better productivity from all citizens. 

“To achieve the economic liberation, what we need is is not mere more talking or mere talking or more shouting or more finger pointing or more politicking or more begging or more gossip or more meetings or more political parties or more prayers. 

“If any of these things were God’s formula for prosperity, Malawi would be the wealthiest of all nations. When we gather to pray, as we are doing today, it is to humble ourselves before God and acknowledge his power to do things that we cannot do. 

“But we must never that the power that is in God’s hand is a substitute for the power He has placed in our hands. We must never think that God will change his formula for prosperity for us. It is we who must change to make that formula work for us,” said Chakwera. 

President Chakwera said the formula of God for prosperity is productivity and all citizens must ensure that is realised through action rather than prayers alone. 

“Productivity means doing more and more or better and better the useful things that make Malawi better than we found her. That is what each one of us must be busy with, so on this 57th independence day, I leave you no promises and decrees but instead I leave each of you with a single and simple question. 

“And that question is, what are you doing in making Malawi better. Even you as citizens must, each of you, ask each other that question. 

“When you hear a fellow citizen complaining ask them is what you are doing making Malawi better. When you see people putting ugly decorations around about, stop and ask them, is what you are doing making Malawi better. 

“When you see people walking around without masks or social distancing, ask them, is what you are doing making Malawi better. When you see a minister posting nonsense on social media, ask them, is what you are doing making Malawi better. 

“If we keep asking each other this question, if we stay vigilant and watch over this nation, if we ensure that we do not stand idly by or fold our hands, if each of us apply ourselves to doing something that makes Malawi better, I tell you economic liberation will not be the dream of our independence, it will be finally our destiny,” he said.