Malawi faces protests over rising prices and inflation just months before elections. The economic crisis has led to rising food prices and widespread poverty. Despite government efforts to combat the situation, public dissatisfaction prevails as citizens demand more effective strategies. President Chakwera’s re-election campaign is challenged by these escalating issues.
Malawi is witnessing significant protests due to soaring prices, occurring just months prior to the scheduled September elections. The nation is currently enduring its most severe economic crisis in decades. In the Tsoka second-hand clothing market of Lilongwe, vendors such as association leader Steve Magombo are grappling with soaring inflation, which reached 30% year-on-year in February. Frustrated by escalating living costs, Magombo led approximately 5,000 vendors in a march to parliament, marking a significant demonstration in the capital in recent years.
Protests have also erupted in at least four additional cities, highlighting widespread public discontent in a nation where nearly 75% of the population of 21 million lives in extreme poverty. Food prices have been particularly affected, with inflation on essential items like maize hitting 38.5% in February. The price of a 50kg bag of maize has surged nearly threefold since December, now costing 110,000 kwacha ($63), far surpassing the national minimum wage of $52, and $26 for domestic workers.
James Woods, a policy expert based in the UK, commented, “For a net-importing country, the collapse of the kwacha has been catastrophic, fuelling import costs and further stoking inflation in a vicious cycle.” Since 2022, the currency has lost over half its value following multiple sharp devaluations, while businesses are hindered by foreign currency shortages affecting imports and supply chains.
In response to the crisis, the Malawian government has instituted bans on the import of certain goods, such as Irish potatoes, maize flour, fresh milk, and meat products, with the intent of promoting local production. Despite these efforts, critics like Gift Trapence, leader of the Human Rights Defenders Coalition, argue that the authorities lack a coherent strategy to stabilize the economy, remarking, “The government seems to have no clue on how to bring the economy back on track.”
President Lazarus Chakwera, age 69, who secured 58% of the vote in the 2020 elections, is now facing a challenging re-election campaign against former president Peter Mutharika, age 85. The deteriorating economic situation exacerbates the urgency for the government to implement effective measures ahead of the impending elections.
In summary, the economic crisis in Malawi has sparked widespread protests as citizens, particularly vendors, express their frustration with soaring inflation and rising living costs. The government’s response, including bans on imports to stimulate local production, has been met with criticism. As the September elections approach, President Chakwera faces increasing pressure to provide solutions to the economic turmoil and to retain public support in the upcoming electoral contest.
Original Source: newscentral.africa
