The Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Church and Society programmes have called on government to address Malawi’s economic challenges, improve public accountability and protect vulnerable citizens from the rising cost of living.
In a joint social justice statement released on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, the Church and Society programmes of the Blantyre and Livingstonia Synods said many Malawians continued to struggle with economic hardship despite the country’s potential in agriculture, minerals and other natural resources.
The Nkhoma Synod is also in institutional solidarity with the statement following approval by its General Secretary.
The statement, issued under the theme “When the Righteous Thrive, the People Rejoice”, said persistent foreign exchange shortages, fuel supply uncertainty and rising living costs remained major concerns for households, farmers, businesses and essential services.
“Good intentions alone cannot fill fuel tanks, make medicines available, reduce the cost of living or put food on a struggling family’s table,” the statement reads.
The Church called for transparent fuel procurement, improved foreign exchange generation, stronger local industries and effective investigations into credible allegations of corruption and financial misconduct.
It also expressed concern over the management of pension funds, referring to the Anti-Corruption Bureau’s announcement that it had reopened investigations into suspected corruption surrounding the purchase of Amaryllis Hotel by the Public Service Pension Trust Fund.
The Church stressed that the investigation did not establish criminal guilt but called for transparent updates, parliamentary oversight and measures to protect pension beneficiaries.
On agriculture, the religious institution urged government to invest in irrigation, climate-resilient farming, affordable agricultural inputs, storage facilities and agro-processing to improve farmers’ earnings and strengthen export capacity.
It also raised concerns about the affordability of digital financial services, warning that transaction charges, network failures and limited access could disproportionately affect rural communities, small-scale traders and low-income households.
The statement further called for accountability in the mining sector, improved access to essential medicines and protection of civic space.
On traditional leadership disputes in Mulanje, the Church urged authorities to resolve the dispute surrounding Group Village Headman Duswa and Traditional Authority Sunganinzeru through lawful procedures.
It called on relevant government ministries and district authorities to ensure that eligible learners were not denied access to free secondary education because of disagreements among adults.
“Children must not become collateral damage in disputes among adults,” the statement reads.
The Church also urged political leaders to respect their constitutional responsibilities and ensure that disagreements within government did not undermine public service delivery.
The statement was signed by Rev. Donnex Mateyu Ngalande, Executive Director of the Church and Society Programme for the CCAP Blantyre Synod, and Rev. Godwins Maere, Executive Director of the Church and Society Programme for the CCAP Synod of Livingstonia.
The Church called on government to demonstrate transparent leadership, protect public resources and ensure that the burden of economic hardship was shared fairly.
