By Khumbo Kaliwo:
Vice President Michael Usi has advised the clergy to stop fearing politicians to achieve a balance of power.
Usi made the remarks in Lilongwe during the opening of the Chaplaincy Stakeholders Conference.
He said people in government, whether politicians or civil servants, are the ones bringing the country down and that he believes chaplains have a national role in fostering positive mindset change.
“The clergy should invite their people and speak to them. Africa is the most churched continent but equally the most corrupt,” Usi said.
The vice president added that achieving excellence in human resources begins with a mindset change, starting with the institutions from which the faith leaders come.
“This is the concept that my predecessor, the late Dr Saulos Klaus Chilima, valued most. He challenged us all, saying that the day we all embrace a mindset change, some of the problems we face as a country will automatically begin to diminish,” Usi said.
Director General of the National Planning Commission (NPC), Thomas Munthali, concurred with the vie president, stressing that faith leaders are crucial in promoting the country’s integrity.
Munthali noted that while the nation is making progress in implementing Malawi 2063, the country’s long-term development plan, progress is slow.
He suggested that with a proper mindset, public sector performance and governance systems would improve.
“We should be patriotic on our own. We must remember that we are stewards tasked with looking after the resources God has given us for future generations,” Munthali said.
He further mentioned that Africa has been taught how to “get right” with God, but the continent’s biggest problem is that the church has not been taught how to think right.
Only faith leaders can impart this to their followers, the NPC boss said.
“Let us not just sit back and relax, hoping for handouts from the government. Instead, let us move towards a journey of self-reliance,” Munthali added.
During the conference, the Council of Chaplaincy Ministry awarded Usi a medal as a symbol of “godly leadership”.
The theme for the 2024 Chaplaincy Conference is ‘Chaplaincy as a Vehicle for Malawi 2063’.
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