As Malawi approached Tripartite Elections on 21 May 2019, the National Civil Society Task force on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Malawi requested all political parties and various development stakeholders to ensure that Malawi continues to embrace SDGs. This came after noting that most development initiatives are put aside as political parties and citizenry focus on elections.

According to Programmes Manager for CONGOMA Mr. Simekinala Kaluzi, Malawi just like any other country should sustain strong commitments to specific actions, timelines and financing to deliver these important goals by 2030.

“As a coalition, we demand a country where our economy creates prosperity for all and not just the richest few, where governments and private sector are held to account to respect the rights and dignity of all Malawians and treasure the country so that it remains habitable for current and future generations”,  said kaluzi.

He also added that Government of Malawi should focus on ways for transforming unfair economic practices and policies that create inequalities and increases poverty.

“The task force further demand promotion of Gender Equality, decent work and investment in health and education, particularly of women, girls and marginalized communities. Our communities must be free from fear and want, with zero tolerance for gender-based violence, discrimination and human trafficking”, pointed out Kaluzi.

In her presentation, another SDGs task force member from Action Aid, Linda Harawa said that the Coalition is convinced that the Sustainable Development Goals are an historic opportunity to accelerate progress towards a better future for Malawians and global citizens; as such the alignment of the SDGs and party aspirations would serve Malawians better.

“To this end, our leaders should commit to implementing these goals by ensuring the following tenets: Walk the Talk, Finance Our Future, and be transparent and accountable”, said Harawa.

Taking his turn, Chairperson for Human Rights Consultative Committee who is also an active member of the SDG task force Mr. Robert Mkwezalamba highlighted that the country needs to address to address the current context of inequality and planetary destruction if Malawi is to truly eliminate poverty and enable a life of dignity for all.

“We believe Malawi has the resources and knowledge to eradicate poverty, inequalities and impact of climate change. But Government of Malawi leadership and the private sector and NGOs must be held to account to ensure a just distribution”, explained Mkwezalamba.

The SDGs task force is composed of key civil society thematic networks and other civil society Organisations and is housed at CONGOMA.