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President Mutharika on Tuesday reaffirmed his government’s position that the Salima-Lilongwe Lake Malawi Project will continue.
Speaking on arrival from Blantyre, President Mutharika said that it is a matter of urgency that the project should be implemented.
‘If nothing is done, we will have a crisis, there will be no water in this city [Lilongwe],’said Mutharika to the gathered thousands at Biwi Triangle.
Continued the President: “We are trying our best so that in 2-3 years, something is done otherwise, there will be a crisis. So, to mitigate on this, we have the programme of Diamphwe Dam, Kamuzu Dam and also the programme of tapping water from Lake Malawi in Salima to Lilongwe.’‘
President Muntharika also took opportunity to warn Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and other international institutions and country representatives who have been criticizing the programme.
“Let me warn CSOs and some foreigners’ who are sabotaging the water programme from Salima to Lilongwe; they are sabotaging this programme.
They are coming with all sorts of things. Let me tell them;…you are visitors here, you are here not to run this country – This country is a sovereign nation. Don’t try to run this country or sabotage our programmes.
“So, the water programme will continue be assured of that. It will continue so that in 4-5 years we will do this water programme from Salima to Lilongwe. There is no other choice because of the crisis,” said President Mutharika.
The first citizen then went on to disclose that he would soon go to Chitipa and Mzimba to also launch more water projects, and further promised that underway electricity projects would be completed within the set time frame.
The Head of State has since called for patience saying developing a country was a task which required time.
He said; “Colonialists were in this country for 73 years and never did any development. And after independence Kamuzu led the country for 31 years but left the country with 64 per cent of the people below the poverty line. So all I’m asking is for you to give me time.”
