Malawi's Capital FM has reported that the Malawian government is offering its 14-seat presidential jet, worth more than U.S.$13m five years ago, to the highest bidder.
The proceeds of the sale will be used to provide basic services for the country's poor, according to President Joyce Banda.
This move by Banda is the latest in a series of austerity measures she initiated to improve relations with western donors, including cutting her own salary by 30%.
The country saw its first protests under Banda in January when thousands of Malawians reportedly took to the streets peacefully in all three major cities for the first large-scale demonstration, against what they described as "the IMF's wrong economic prescriptions".
Her predecessor, the late Bingu wa Mutharika, was strongly criticised for buying the jet, and reportedly said it would be "cheap to run".
Since taking over, Mrs Banda has refused to travel in the jet.
Comments Post a comment
I SAY TO MY BELOVED SISTER JOYCE, WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS SLEFLESS ADMIRABLE AND VERY WORTHY' !. HOWEVER IT IS MY STRONG BELIEF THAT YES THOUGH THE MONEY COULD BE USED SHOULD YOU SELL IT THINK OF THE BENIFITS IT CAN BRING TO YOU SHOULD YOU USE IT TO TRAVEL THE CONTINENT IN SEARCH OF WHAT IT IS THAT MALAWI CAN DO FOR AFRICA???. AS WE SEE AFRICA GROW FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH THERE ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES RIGHT HERE IN AFRICA. AFRICA IS A BUDDING CONTINENT WE HAVE MUCH TO OFFER EACH OTHER. WITH YOUR JET YOU CAN FLY THROUGH OUT THE ENTIRE SADC , ECOWAS COMMUNITIES IN A DAY TWO DAYS; WHERE THE SAME TRIP WOULD TAKE DAYS WEEKS... IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR YOU THOUGH SELFLESS VERY DIGNIFIED TO HAVE AN APPEARNCE AS THE STATES PERSON THAT YOU ARE WE ARE LIVING IN A TECHNOLOGICAL AGE ; I AM BY NO MEANS SAYING THAT MATERIALISM IS THE WAY FORWARD !!! ; IT IS FAVORABLE THAT YOU HAVE AT YOUR DISPOSAL MECHANISMS THAT CAN ALLOW YOU TO ACHIEVE YOUR VISION FOR MALAWI!!!. LET THIS JET BE A BLESSING FOR YOU AS MUCH AS YOUR NATION IS. FUNNY ENOPUGH THAT YOUR NATION IS BLESSED WITH SO MUCH IT DOES NOT HAVE TO HAVE GAS OR OIL BUT IT IS RICH IN FERTILE SOIL IT HAS SOME OF THE CONTINENTS BEST SEA FOOD AS FAR AS FISHES ARE CONCERNED, WITH PROPER HARVESTING AND KEEPING THE FISHES STOCKED WITH REGULATORY AND EVEN FISH FARMS THERE IS MUCH IN VALUE FOR YOUR NATION. MY DEAR SISTER LOOK FOR EDUCATION TO PROPELL THE PEOPLE TO THIER DESTINIES, AFRICA IS SELF RELIANT. FOR YEARS THE WEST AHS DENIED US THE THE FREEWIZE INTELLECT FOR ADVANCING OUR CULTURES AND FREE THINKING "... THEIR OVERWHELMING US WITH NGOS, WESTERN IDEOLOGIES, WESTERN TEACHINGS, THEY WANTED FROM US A CARBON OF THEMSELVES,," THAT WHICH WAS NOT POSSIBLE"!!!. YOU YOURSELF HAD TO MAKE ADJUSTMENST TO HOW MUCH YOU WERE WILLING TO ADHERE TO; AS TO THIER DEMANDS. WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING IS DICTATING TO AFRICA".. BECUASE OF THIER PROPOGANDA THEY FOLLOWED THE TEXT AND NARRATIVES OF THE STEREWOTYPES THEY CREATED OF THE AFRICAN. THE AFRICAN NEARLY AT ONE POINT STARTED TO BELIVE THAT THIER LIES AND WHAT THEY SAID WAS TRUE."AFRICA HAS AWAKEN" THE AFRICAN MIND IS WANTING FOR THIER FREEINDEPENDNDENCE' DESIRING TO OWN THEIR DESTINY'; FOLLOW THIER OWN DRTEAM!!S. WHAT WE ARE IN JEOARDY OF IS THE HIJACKING OF OUR AGAIN INDEPENDENCE FOR THIER IMPERIALISTIC DEMANDS AND WANTS. HISTORY HAS TAUGHT US THAT THEY ARE NOT FAIR NOR ARE THEY TRUTHFUL THEY CONSTANTLY SAY ONETHING AND DO ANOTHER!!!!!! THIS HAS BEEN METHODDICAL PATHOLOGICAL ON THIER BEHALF SINCE THIER INTERACTION WITH AFRICA; SO WITH CAUTION I SAY TO YOU MAKE WIZE CHOICES .THE JET IS A NOT A HINDERNACE IT IS YOUR MAGIC CARPET. MAKE TH BEST OF IT, IT IS CHEAPER TO BUY FUEL WITHIN SADC REGION ANGOLA IS A BROTHER STATE THEY CAN BE OF ASSISSTANTS TO YOU BY SUPPLYING YOU WITH 'AS THEY ARE THE ONES CAPABLE OF ALLOWING YOU TO DESIGN WHAT IT IS A VISIONARY DOES TO ENHANCE THE CAPABILITIES OF HER NATION". BECAREFUL OF THE IMF THEY ARE MUCH LIKE A SNAKE THEY WANT TO CONSUME YOU AND SWALLOW YOU WHOLE ,,SLOWLY!!!. THERE IS MUCH PROGRES TO BE MADE IN AFRICA ',LOOK FOR IT!! TRAVEL THE CONTINENT. FIRST MEET LIKE PEOPLE LEARN ABOUT WHO YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS ARE. SOME AFRICAN KNOWS MORE ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE EXCEPT THIER OWN BROTHERS AND SISTERS. THAT JET IS YOUR MAGIC CARPET TO THIS GLORIOUS CONTINENT. THIS JET IS THERE FOR A REASON DO NOT LOOK BACK WARDS YOU HAVE DONE ALOT SO FAR ,YOU HAVE SHOWN YOUR DETERMINATION LET THE PEOPLE ALSO SHOW THIER DETERMINATION AND THIER INTENT TO LEARN . PLEAS PLACE EMPHASIS ON EDUCATION WE MUST PROVIDE A WELL OF DEVELOPMENTAL OPPRTUNTIES FOR OUR YOUTH THAT COMES FROM VOCATIOBNAL TECNOLOGICAL AGRTICULTURAL INFORMATION. THESE ARE THIER PRIORITIES IT IS YOU TO FIND THE OPPORTUNITES FOR THEM .THIS WAY IS PROVIDING YOU THAT AVENUE. TRAVEL AFRICA, MEET HEADS OF STATES ,ASK FOR SCHOLRASHIPS FOR YOUR YOUTHS TO ENGAGE IN THIER EDUCATIONAL PROCESSES; EGYPT FOR ONE WAS OFFERING PILOT TRAIANING AS AS AN EDUCATION BENIFIT SOME TIME AGO. TO HAVE ALSO A PILOT FROM YOUR NATION A CREW THAT IS TRAINED IN AIRCRAFT TECHNOLOGY IS BRILLIANT FOR MALAWI. LET US NOT LIMIT THE YOUTHS MINDSET; REACH OUT FOR PILOTS FROM MALWAI TO FLY THE PRESIDENTIAL OR NATIONS GOVERMNETAL AIRCRAFT. PROVIDE OPPRTUNITIES TO TRAVEL THE WORLD TRAVEL THE CONTINENT EXPLORE THE PLANET. SPEAK TO THE PEOPLE OF THE NATION ASK THIER OPINION FIRST BEFORE YOU TAKE SUCH A RADICAL STEP IT IS UP TO THE PEOPLE IF THEY SAY NO THEN NO IT IS!!!!!! SHOULD THEY RESPECT YOU AND KNOW THAT THIS AIRCRAFT IS NOT HINDERANCE BUT COULD BE THE WAY FORWARD 'THEN YES IT WILL BE!!!!!!!!! I WISH YOU WELL AND I HPE THE JET BECOMES THE BEST ALLY TO HELP YOU SIGHT THAT INDEPEDNENCE THAT YOU SO SEEK; THE CONTINENT IS VAST WITH 54 OR SO SATES THERE IS MUCH THAT YOUR NATION CAN CONTRIBUTE MAKE MEET P[EOPLE ESTABLISH CONTRACTS WITH THE MANY SEEK TO BROADEN YORU HORIZONS THIS YOUR TIME DONT RESTRICT YOURSELF THE MOON IS THE LIMIT!!!!!!! ! LET "ALLMIGHTY GOD OUR FATHER" BE YOUR GUIDE.