By Wadza Botomani
The Minister of National Unity Timothy Mtambo was on Friday in the area of Traditional Authority Wimbe in Kasungu where he conducted a government Citizen Engagement Interface locally known as ” Pabwalo ” on financial Literacy. This interface brought in financial experts from the Reserve Bank of Malawi ( RBM) and from the Ministry of Finance. Also present were , The First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hon Madalitso Kazombo, who is also the Member of Parliament for Kasungu East , the District Commissioner for Kasungu Mr James Kanyangalazi and others.
In his address to the gathering Mtambo said the Government – Citizen Engagement Platform (Pabwalo)
is a tool which the Tonse Alliance Administration will use, through the Ministry, to create an open, transparent and accountable Government that effectively responds to the needs and demands of the citizens it serves.
“Thus, the platform will promote an earnest state-citizen relationship that will spur social and economic development of the country by bringing government and the people together to discuss and dialogue on
important issues pertaining to national development” said Mtambo.
The minister said the Pabwalo platform will organise government – public interface meetings and open
discussion forums where officials from government Ministries, Departments and Agencies {MDAs} will articulate the functions, duties and services of their respective MDAs. The people will, in turn, voice their concerns, and what they expect from the MDAs and government in general.
The Minister took opportunity to tell the gathering on concerns about increasing issues of mob justice and lawlessness. “It is sad and disappointing to note that cases of mob justice, lawlessness, and abuse of human rights are on the increase in some parts of the country. The rights, especially of the elderly, continue to be violated due to witchcraft accusations. Some of the elderly people have lost their lives and property” the Minister said such cases have been common in Neno, Ntchisi and Karonga with the latest being in Kasalika village in the area of Traditional Authority Katumbi in Rumphi.
Mtambo also reminded the people of the mandate of his ministry which he said is to create an enabling
environment for civic empowerment, promotion of sustainable peace and unity for resilience, patriotism, accountable governance and inclusive national development. On this he told the gathering that in line of this mandate his Ministry drafted Peace and Unity Bill which has just been presented and passed in Parliament this week.
“The Bill seeks to make provision for the establishment of Malawi Peace and Unity Commission whose function will be to promote sustainable peace and unity in Malawi in order to achieve political, social, economic and cultural development”.
Mtambo also took part in the recording of the ” Malawi Wanga ” Radio and TV Programmes on inflation and Exchange Rates which was done at the headquarters of Chief Wimbe in Kasungu District.
