Africa-Press – Malawi. Leader of Opposition in Parliament, Simplex Chithyola Banda, has challenged the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led administration to rise above politics and continue all development projects initiated by the previous Malawi Congress Party (MCP) government, saying Malawians—not politicians—must be the winners.
Chithyola Banda said Malawi is “one country that desperately needs development projects,” warning the new government against abandoning progress simply because it bears the label of a previous regime.
“Malawi is one country that requires development projects. Therefore, we wish the new government could actually continue the projects that were started by the previous government,” Chithyola Banda said.
He stressed that the opposition would intensify checks and balances to ensure continuity, noting that even former president Lazarus Chakwera continued several projects left by the DPP.
“Remember, the former president, Dr Lazarus Chakwera, was actually continuing with projects that the-then DPP government started. Why? Because the ones who win are Malawians. We have one country to call home, and that is why, in every official speech, I always end with: One Malawi, One People, One Nation,” he said.
Government moves to vet MCP-era projects
His remarks come as government has confirmed it is vetting all projects initiated by the immediate-past MCP administration, a process meant to determine which projects will continue and which may be scrapped.
Deputy Leader of the House and Minister of Information Shadric Namalomba said in an interview that the review is underway and aims to ensure that only projects of genuine public value are allowed to proceed.
He was responding to a call from Lilongwe City Centre MP Gift Nankhuni, who urged the DPP administration to continue what he said were “high quality” development projects implemented under the MCP government, including roads in his constituency.
But Namalomba said government will not hesitate to halt projects that were politically motivated or created merely to syphon taxpayers’ money.
“The DPP government under His Excellency Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika is doing due diligence to look at all these projects—where we are and what has happened. At the right time, we will say: ‘This project, we are proceeding with it’; ‘That project, we are not proceeding with it’,” he said.
He emphasized that projects must serve the needs of Malawians, not individual politicians.
“Sometimes people would initiate a project to serve a particular politician. That kind of project is not a project to benefit all of us. We are running an inclusive government and, surely, all these projects will have to be vetted in that light,” Namalomba said.
HRDC: Exercise must be transparent and in good faith
The Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), through its Executive Director and Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) Chairperson Michael Kaiyatsa, said the vetting is welcome—but only if it is done transparently and with strict objectivity.
“The decision to review and vet all projects is welcome, provided it is done transparently, objectively and in the public interest. Malawians deserve assurance that public resources are not abused,” Kaiyatsa said.
He warned that the process must not be used as a tool for political retaliation or selective targeting, but should remain a professional and evidence-based audit.
“Done correctly, this process can enhance public trust, improve governance standards, and help redirect resources towards impactful development projects,” he said.
Kaiyatsa called for continuity of all economically viable, procedurally initiated projects, regardless of who started them, while urging strong action against illegal or fraudulent ones.
“Projects that benefit citizens and were initiated through proper procurement processes must continue. At the same time, any project that is irregular, overpriced, illegal or clearly designed for political enrichment should be discontinued—and those responsible must be held to account,” he said.
Parliamentary deliberations on the matter are expected to continue today after being adjourned on Friday.
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