President Bingu wa Mutharika is never short of strange business ideas. Recently addressing a rally at Chileka in Blantyre, he advised that youths could venture into brewing beer using the Youth Development Fund.

Mutharika shocked many elders with his assurance to the youths that he would support them in securing loans to produce alcohol as a way of improving their living standards.  But that suggestion has angered chiefs, religious leaders and parents.

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate looks lost when addressing political meetings prior to the 19^th May 2009 General Elections and apart from self-praising himself on many uncompleted programmes, he mentions projects that are not even at ground level.

Instead of giving stock of the false promises he has failed to fulfill, Mutharika is also misleading the youths that money will be available for them to venture into any income generating activities including small-scale brewery businesses.

“If you elect me I will find money for the youths to do small businesses. I will not mind the type of business you will choose, even brewery is alright with me,” said Mutharika.

Chiefs, religious leaders and parents around the area have expressed concern with Mutharika’s idea of brewery business for the youths, and have since sent a letter of protest to State House through Presidential Advisor on Christian Affair,” Malani Mtonga.

“Unless the president meant it for a joke, otherwise we as Christians and Muslims have been offended and think he should withdraw the remarks,” said one of the religious leaders who signed the letter.

“No wonder that DPP youths have been going around destroying opposition parties’ flags, posters and other campaign materials and disrupt other parties meetings where they beat innocent people,” he said.

The elders said they will seek audience with MCP/UDF Alliance President JZU Tembo to encourage his government after Mutharika is gone to prepare concrete development programmes for the youths who have been neglected over the years.

“Everybody talks about business loans which are not given to the youths, nobody is to discussing the training the youths received in agriculture and technical skills during Ngwazi Dr H. Kamuzu Banda’s rule,” said Bernard Matondo. “I strongly believe that the only leader who can bring back that productive life for our children is JZU Tembo.”

Matondo said President Mutharika pledged many things for the youths including Malawi Rural Development Fund (Mardef) loans which no youth benefited from.