By Innocent Manda
Minister of Information and Communications Technology, Shadric Namalomba, has urged young people to utilise government low-interest loans and youth empowerment programmes instead of engaging in criminal activities that jeopardise their future and national development.
Speaking in an interview with the Malawi News Agency (MANA) on Monday, Namalomba, who is also the government spokesperson, said rising cases of youth involvement in crime are worrying and require collective efforts to address.
He said government has allocated about K100 million for youth empowerment from the K5 billion Constituency Development Fund (CDF) aimed at supporting entrepreneurship and job creation initiatives.
“The success of Malawi 2063 depends on the active participation of young people. They are key drivers of development and government is investing in their empowerment to accelerate the country’s transformation agenda,” Namalomba said.
The minister said government institutions, including the Malawi Enterprise Development Fund (MEDF), targeting over 250,000 beneficiaries this year, have begun disbursing loans, showing commitment to expanding youth economic opportunities and self-employment.
“Government always prioritises the youth. That is why, as a DPP-led government, we will never tolerate seeing young people starving and engaging in criminal activities such as stealing maize and potatoes. It is pathetic,” Namalomba said.
Meanwhile, African Youth Employment Initiatives (AYEI) Executive Director Eric Banda has urged stronger coordination between government and youth structures to increase awareness of the empowerment loans and other initiatives.
He noted that that many young people remain excluded due to limited access to information and guidance systems.
“Government, office bearers and youth networks must work together to ensure that every eligible young person understands how to access and properly utilise empowerment funds,” Banda said.
He applauded government for strengthening monitoring mechanisms in the utilisation of the CDF and other enterprise programmes, saying transparency is improving accountability and public trust.
“It is my plea that implementers such as MEDF officials should be accountable and transparent so that the intended beneficiaries of government programmes truly benefit from these developments,” Banda said.
The initiatives support Malawi 2063 pillars on inclusive wealth creation and youth empowerment, promoting access to loans and productive engagement to reduce crime and build sustainable economic growth for citizens and young people.
