Manifesto Introduction

The Republic of Malawi is a long narrow country covering 118,484 sq. km (45,747 sq miles). It stretches some 840 kilometers from north to south, and varies in width from 80 to 160 kilometers. It is at the southern end of the East African Rift Valley system. Malawi is a plateau country of varying height bordered by the deep rift valley trench, which averages 80 kilometers in width. The northern two-thirds of the rift valley floor are mainly taken up by Lake Malawi, which has a mean surface of 472 meters above sea level. The southern third of the rift valley is crossed by the River Shire, which flows from Lake Malawi, via Lake Phalombe to the River Zambezi.

Twenty percent of the total area of Malawi is covered by water, comprising of Lakes Malawi, Chilwa, Palombe, Chiuta and major rivers such as the Shire, North and South Rukuru, Bua, Mwanza and Ruo. Lake Malawi contains a diverse range of fish resources with up to 1,000 species of fish; most of which are native to Malawi. Lake Malawi contributes between 40 percent to 60 percent of fish landings, while the other lakes contribute between 13 percent and 38 percent. Malawi’s major rivers, on their own, contribute between 20 percent and 26 percent of the fish landings.

Karonga Central Constituency is located in Karonga District in the Northern Region of Malawi, and primarily on the shores of Lake Malawi. Karonga Central Constituency is relatively underdeveloped and a large segment of the population still depends on subsistence agriculture and small-scale fishing. There are no major initiatives or mining activities. While the main road networks are relatively good, many of the feeder roads are in poor condition. As a result the area requires substantial investment in order to raise the standard of living of the average person. What is needed is forward looking leadership in an area that will help the Malawi Government to promote and implement the proposals contained in the publication “Malawi Growth and Development Strategy: From Poverty to Prosperity: 2006 to 2011 (MGDS)”.

In launching the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy, His Excellency Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika, President of the Republic of Malawi, stated that:

“The Malawi Growth and Development Strategy is the overarching operational medium-term strategy for Malawi to attain the nation’s vision by 2020 and the main thrust of this strategy is to create wealth through sustainable growth and infrastructure development as a means of achieving poverty reduction. This is expected to transform the country from being a predominantly importing and consuming economy to a predominantly manufacturing and exporting economy”.

The Malawi Growth and Development Strategy represents a significant policy shift from social consumption, to sustainable economic growth and infrastructure development. The philosophy that underlies the MGDS is one of permanent poverty reduction through sustainable economic growth and development. The MGDS identifies six priority areas, which taken together will define the direction of government’s economic policies in the future and also five thematic areas, in which progress needs to be made if the overall strategy is to succeed.

These six key priority areas are expected to accelerate the attainment in Malawi of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the areas of health, education, gender, environment and governance. Furthermore, focus on “integrated rural development” is expected to rejuvenate the rural economies and transform them into potential agents for economic growth that will translate into increased redistribution of wealth countrywide. The integrated rural development programme envisages the creation of “rural growth centers” to serve as catalysts for change in rural areas.

Dr. Mwalwanda’s initiatives, therefore, are an effort to contribute to this process of implementing the MGDS at the local level of the Karonga Central Constituency. It represents efforts Dr. Mwalwanda will make in order to galvanize the local population in the area to effectively contribute to sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction in Malawi. In order to support the efforts of government in the implementation of the Malawi Growth Development Strategy, it is imperative the natural, human and financial resources of the Karonga Central Constituency should be mobilized and development priorities of the area clearly delineated.

In order to galvanize resources of the area to support sustainable development for poverty reduction, greater efforts will need to be made to involve stakeholders in the identification, formulation, and implementation, of development projects and programmes. Accordingly, this will require the involvement and commitment of chiefs, the private sector, commercial organizations, women’s organizations, teachers and area development committees.

Development programmes and projects for the area will have to be prioritized in line with the MGDS. Invariably, such priorities will need to focus on agriculture and food security; irrigation and water development; transport infrastructure development; energy generation and supply; integrated rural development; and prevention and management of nutrition disorders and HIV/Aids.