By Edwin Mauluka

Former president Joyce Banda (JB), the only female candidate for the September 16, 2025 elections, says her manifesto’s short-term Quick Fix Program provides immediate solutions to Malawi’s current economic challenges.

Speaking at a rally held at Kazengo ground in Mzimba district, Banda said it was sad that during this year’s election Malawians, many of whom are going without food, will have to leave the long fuel and sugar queues just to go and vote.

But she offered hope that is spelled out in a consolidated manifesto developed by her People’s Party (PP) and alliance partners Freedom Party (FP), MAFUNDE and Assembly for Democracy and Development (ADD).

Banda said the Quick Fix Program prioritizes the welfare of civil servants like nurses, teachers and lower rank army officers who will receive personal house construction materials under what is called Malata Project aimed at helping these professionals live in better housing.

The Quick Fix Program also wants to fix the shortage of housing for poor people: ‘’We are going to construct one million houses for poor people, an initiative that everyone already knows that I do every day,” the former president said. “The housing initiative shall create more jobs as it employs local contractors and the footprint of this initiative is found in all the districts from Kameme Village in Chitipa to Marka in Nsanje,’’ she said, adding that this week in Mangochi she handed over houses that were constructed by local builders.

Banda said the program would introduce Cash for Work program, a continuation of her 2012-2014 Food for Work program, to enable poor families receive pay every fortnight as way of alleviating hunger and other economic challenges.

On fuel shortages, JB said a fuel supplier who has offered to maintain commodity supply for a period of 12 months had been identified. She said this move would bring to an end the long queues at filling stations and reminded supporters that she had done this before — within 14 days — after she assumed power in 2012.

Addressing the issue of hunger, she said the program had also identified maize and fertilizer for subsistence farmers who will also have access to loans for inputs and animal husbandry. Beneficiaries would repay the loans at low interest rates, Banda said.

To promote youth economic empowerment, JB promised to revive the Kabaza motorcycle business initiative by increasing number of beneficiaries from 500 in her previous term to 2.8 million. She also claimed to have identified a company that would manufacture motorbikes in the country to promote job creation. The program, Banda said, would also fund programs that would equip the youth with the necessary skills that are in demand today.

Under youth empowerment, the PP leader said her administration would revive labour export programs to countries in the Middle East, a continuation from 2012-2014 program which sent 2500 youths to Kuwait, Qatar and United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well as provide scholarships to study in the USA and Europe. 

Banda said the Quick Fix Program also intends to introduce free secondary school education, promote safe motherhood and bring back mobile health clinics in addition to promoting mining, reliable energy and tourism.

To curb spending, the former president said austerity measures would include cuts to ministerial vehicles and the president’s salary.

‘’I have capacity and ability to move the country from where we are today to another level. I did the same in 2012,’’ declared Banda, adding that her previous administrative success gives her the confidence that voters will give her another chance to fix the economy.

Incumbent president Lazarus Chakwera, who is also running under the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) ticket, has blamed natural disasters and global economic challenges for Malawi’s current problems.

Banda disagrees and maintains that the problems here are manmade and avoidable as the economies of Malawi’s neighbors such as Zambia and Tanzania are growing yet they faced similar challenges. She cited Mozambique, which is prone to cyclones, as having seen its economy grow by 3 percent during the same period.

‘’My plea to Malawians is that this time around let’s not experiment. We should vote for experienced people like me,’’ said Banda, pledging to create a food and economic secure nation within 100 days in office.

Banda has picked her former vice president Khumbo Kachali, leader of FP, as running mate. Her coalition partners include veteran politician George Mnesa, leader of MAFUNDE and former vice president Cassim Chilumpha of ADD.