The President of Malawi, His Excellency Prof Arthur Peter Mutharika, opened the fifth African Biblical Leadership Initiative forum in Lilongwe today.
He said that, ‘transforming the culture of leadership’ in Africa was ‘well overdue’.
Some 500 people from across Malawi and 19 other African nations attended the opening ceremony of the conference which focuses on issues of leadership in Africa.
A 16-strong choir clad in green and purple outfits sang for 90 minutes before the President arrived.
Prof Mutharika was greeted by a fanfare of trumpeters and drummers as well as turquoise-clad dancers and drummers in the street.
The President admitted that politicians had often failed Africans, saying, ‘Our people are expecting so much and we promise so much, but unfortunately sometimes we are unable to deliver.’
He said that the Arab Spring and the refugee crisis in Europe required African leaders to make ‘a change in the way we do business’.
Among the many thousands of asylum seekers entering Europe currently, there are thought to be around 43,000 from Africa. More than half of them are fleeing the oppressive regime in Eritrea.
Prof Mutharika said that Africa’s current conflicts betrayed ‘greed for power…by a few’.
This was, he said, resulting in ‘a lot of young men and women…fleeing our countries, seeking a better future elsewhere.
‘We must do all that we can in our respective countries to avoid the exodus of our people,’ he said.
‘We need to offer them hope for their future here in Africa.’
The event was attended by Lord Paul Boateng, a member of the House of Lords and current moderator of ABLI. He was joined by James Catford and David Smith from the British and Foreign Bible Society.
David Smith, Head of International Programme for BFBS said, ‘In the light of the refugee crisis, it’s very meaningful for the President to acknowledge that African governments can do more to offer their young people hope for a future in Africa.’
The four-day conference will run until Friday.
Hazel Southam
