Malawi President Peter Mutharika (middle) taking oath of office
Peter Mutharika has been sworn in as president of Malawi.
The 85-year-old Mutharika secured more than 56 percent of votes in the September election, Lazarus Chakwera, defeating outgoing president, who scored 33 percent of the votes.
Mutharika was the country’s president from May 2014 to June 2020.
He took the oath of office in a stadium in Blantyre on Saturday, with the event attended by government officials and African heads of state.
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In his inaugural address, Mutharika said his administration was inheriting a country in economic crisis, facing acute food shortages, cost-of-living pressures, and a lack of foreign exchange.
He, however, vowed to root out government corruption and rebuild an ailing economy.
“There is no money in government. Borrowing is extremely high, and nobody knows where the borrowed money has gone,” he said.
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“We will fix this country. I don’t promise you milk and honey. I promise you hard work, tough and painful decisions. The honeymoon of looting government is over!”
Mutharika also appealed to the international community for investment.
He said he would soon send a delegation to America to discuss his country’s prospects, especially after cuts in US foreign aid.
Meanwhile, Chakwera’s Malawi Congress Party said in a statement that although the outgoing president was absent from the inauguration, he wished Mutharika success and good health.
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