CDEDI demands Dr. Tchereni public apology for his insensitive statement
Centre for Democracy and Development Initiatives (CDEDI) has demanded Secretary to the Treasury Dr. Betchani Tchereni to make a public apology to Malawians on his insensitive statement which is in a video clip that has gone viral on social media that voters must stop threatening politicians with their votes.
In the video clip, Dr. Tchereni is filmed making careless and highly insensitive statement that commodities must be priced in their right manner and voters should stop threatening politicians with their votes.
Dr. Tchereni in the video clip is arguing that government must not be threaten to hike price of fuel observing that there are other people coming from Zambia to buy the country’s fuel because of cheaper price.
“Threatening politicians to hike the price of fuel will result into plunging the country’s economy in an awkward situation simply because of a vote,” he said in a video clip.
Writing in a statement dated 8th July, 2024 signed by its Executive Director Sylvester Namiwa, the CDEDI has described the statement made by Dr. Tchereni as an insult to the Malawian voters whose only sin is demanding what is worth of their votes as the country’s citizens.
The CDEDI says the video clip has sent shock waves down the spines of well-meaning Malawians especially those who used to listen and believe Dr. Tchereni’s economic commentaries before he decided to join the public service as Secretary to the Treasury.
The organization has reminded Dr. Tchereni that as at December, 2023 public debt stood at a staggering K3.1 trillion of which K7.1 trillion was external while K6.1 trillion was domestic claiming that the citizens are holding the duty bearers to account for these public debts.
“Before the devaluation of the local currency by 44 percent, external debt was much lower than the domestic one, at a round K3 trillion and currently, public debt is hovering at around K16 trillion,” reads the statement in part.
The CDEDI says it is crystal clear that domestic debt is ballooning at a time Malawians are calling for external debt relief, attributing this to unique appetite for borrowing for political financing advising Dr. Tchereni that Malawi is in democracy, power belongs to the voters.
The organization says it is an open secret that the Malawi economy has deteriorated under Dr. Tchereni’s watch due to among others, state sponsored corruption, low productivity, high inflation, and high cost of living.
It has advised Dr. Tchereni that by virtue of being the Secretary to the Treasury, he need to work in silence to meet the delicate balance between political wishes and harsh economic realities on the ground and not turning himself into a mouthpiece of the same people responsible for the country’s mess.
The CDEDI has finally given Dr. Tchereni 7 days demanding for his public apology or to resign, warning him that should he fail to do so, the Malawian voters will force him to resign.
