50 years down the line... the more things change, the more they remain the same...

Edwin John Dingle in his book, Across China on Foot (1911) once stated: “To travel in China is easy. To walk across China, over roads acknowledgedly worse than are met with in any civilized country in the two hemispheres, and having accommodation unequalled for crudeness and insanitation, is not easy.” In his understanding of the matter, he was crude to state the difference between rhetorical declarations and pragmatic experiences. I have noted the most cherished golden lesson missing among our politicians is the distinction between rhetorical promises and realistic declarations that can be achieved. Many a times, I feel like I have just woken up to another déjà vu experience when events unfold interestingly on the political drama stage and the old adage by a renowned editor of Le Figaro, Jean Baptiste Alphonse Farr, to which he was a frequent contributor, once wrote a satirical statement: “plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose" translated to be “the more things change the more they remain the same”, gives us a sort of ‘merry-go-round carrousel kind of replays’ of political dramas. I would like to take the strain of resurfacing these kind of political replays in our Malawian political drama stage. Surprisingly, we seem to pay no attention at these scenes and do not seem to notice the ‘reverberations’ on our nascent democratic dispensation. This article will highlight a few political ‘replays’ of our current regimes in light to the understanding of the statement by Jean Baptiste Alphonse Karr.

First replay is seen in government’s quick acknowledgement of practising austerity measures in one scene, and yet throwing an excessively costly banquets on another side scene. During the People’s Party regime, the president surprised the nation with a historic public announcement that the state was not in a better financial positioning to usher the 48^th Anniversary Celebrations, subject to dry government coffers. Barely two weeks later, the nation got a rude awakening to the news that the former president, Joyce Banda, threw herself 100-day celebrations in different venues on different days costing an estimate MK120 million of taxpayers money, of which the state house press office rebutted that the funds originated from ‘well-wishers’. A similar déjà vu occurred just some few weeks ago surprisingly with the confidence-raising news of a presidential stay-away from the AU summit to serve funds for the nations. However, the budget of the 50^th Anniversary in Malawi pegged exorbitantly at a staggering MK158 million, defeats the purpose raised in the earlier statement. One will only hope that the current scenario does not cascade into an all rampant over-expenditure which does not serve the nation’s pride and prestige as was demonstrated in the earlier scenarios, where ‘purportedly government dry coffers’ were reserved to entertain a personal agenda of celebrating 100 days in office.

Second replay in this fantastic political film is the loudmouthed political party chatterboxes with a distorted enthusiasm to exercise liberty and challenge the political opponent with the most fiercely wrapped brawl. The current scenario in Malawi Congress Party is not novice in the Malawian political cinema, probably what would be novice about it would be the calibre of the practitioner herself. It is neither strange on the political drama stage nor unprecedented in the oldest political party itself. The MCP of old had Mayi Hilda Manjankhosi who lambasted at all political adversaries of the party to the point that they would dread with their tails in between the legs, fearing the unknown. The party that took over the reigns of power in 1994, had their own loudmouthed governor in the name of Paul Kachimbwinda, who wore an iconic mantle of ‘Ninja’ credited to his invincibility in the game of political verbal swordplay. The others who tread the same path include Davis Kapito, Patricia Kaliati, Ken Msonda and the current Jessie Kabwila. It may seemingly sound like I have branded them with the same label and I am committing a categorical fallacy of hasty generalization, but wait a minute. These loudmouthed spokespersons had their distinctive features, but one outstanding feature shared by them all is the emotive outbursts which is uncharacteristic for political development. Emotive outburst is the slander spoken in consideration of one’s standing without a weigh on the balance and without substantive evidence. It is not my desire that I should launch into the nitty-gritty of my argument, but without apology, I have noted the emotive outbursts launched without substantive evidence, or in philosophy, I would put it that I have noted three serious fallacies committed which include argumentum ad hominem (attack on the personality), argumentum ad metum (appeal to fear) and argumentum ad odium (appeal to hatred).

Third replay is the controversial appointments of radio personalities whose previous records are indicative of uncompromising legacy. I would confidently suggest that if you are a radio announcer or a news-reporter and you wish to see your way to the State House Press Office, you need to play your cards in an uncompromisingly fashion and you will immediately obtain that ‘green card’. About 2 years ago, we saw one uncompromising radio personality from Capital FM, Brian Banda, a no-nonsense brainy announcer who braved to interview political heavyweights asking them nerve-racking questions had to be rewarded with a mouth-watering post in the Press Office at the State House. The event seemed to me to be a sequel to the recent appointment of one, Pilirani Phiri, renowned to be an equal of Brian Banda of Zodiak Broadcasting Corporation when it came to asking fearless questions to the powers that be. Pilirani Phiri was given a golden ring for his bravery and a medal for his audacity in the form of another post at the State House Press Office. With the turn of events, I can do nothing but predict or prophesy that the next audacious radio personality shall have his or her castle built in the sky, in the cocoon of a State House Press Office for sure.

Fourth trailer under repeat in this Malawian Political film is the job-creation. Of course, a couple of you guys are thinking: ‘Now what’s the heck with job creation, I thought job creation is good for our economy and decreases youth unemployment rate!’. Sure but this job creation is neither good for the nation’s economy nor does it decrease youth unemployment in the country. This job creation is a way to accrue state resources to the privileged few and a demonstration of lavish waste of public funds. For instance, during the UDF regime we had various posts of Ministers without portfolio, who had barely anything to do but swindle monies in the way they liked without being accountable to anyone. During the DPP era, we were shocked to the news of the inclusion of the First Lady in the Cabinet, who had the right to draw salaries, let alone allowances and other privileges, just like any other minister. During the PP regime we experienced another return of drama in terms of strange Ministerial portfolios such as Minister of Good Governance and currently we are to have a historic post of a lifetime in Southern Africa of a Former Speaker of Parliament, whose basic salary starts from a hefty MK1.5 million. And we seem to be assured of the resources by the parliament. How I only wished I had served in Parliament as a Speaker.

Fifth and last replay is the political dilly-dallying of the wheels of justice on our nation. The political blame game has reached its summit just at the time when all our eyes were set on the wheels of justice to start rolling towards the prosecution and conviction of cashgaters. It is not a fairly tale that the infamous cashgate scandal brought untold pain to the nation, and it is not prophetic to state that the recent change in regime is a resultant effect of the scandal. However, it would be a ‘spit-on-our-faces’ to let the cashgaters slip-away from our sight unscathed. The very truth of the scandal lies on the level of impunity manifested on the perpetrators, the loss of evidence for prosecuting the perpetrators, and much more the failure to recover huge sums of money that went down the drain from the scandal. By the way, what would be idealist is not the ‘axe on the necks’ of the cashgaters, but the ‘sack on their pockets’, meaning the recovery of the lost monies and reinstallation of public and donor confidence that the government will run the affairs of men without loopholes and thievery. This is characteristic to the other long-gone court cases and scandals which only left one victim, the Malawian taxpayers. These scandals include the MK1.4 billion scam on donor money, which to date has almost lost historical trace in our political films, despite reported facts that the treasury saw actual deficit to that tune, the Fieldyork book scandal that left purported offenders laughing their way to the bank, the MK61 billion scam that has been reduced to a musical-political campaign against a particular sect of political players with an aim of shielding one’s scandalous mishaps, and the sad to come to terms, Jetgate scandal, which only makes me believe on one fact echoed by a couple of my peers that to some extent, ‘Malawians are foolish indeed’!

In conclusion, the more things change the more they repeat themselves. Mostly the trigger-happy party followers are caught in the dance without a lesson to draw from the music they dance to, only to join another of a similar dance with the same dancing skill. It is for these facts that it becomes conceivably far to me that I will ever become a politician.

Twenty Fourteen is here... Political Party Cards have started rolling... Decision year... 50th Anniversary...

Preamble....

At the dawn of the year, 2014... we were ushered into a decision year, a year that signals the clocking of 50 years of independence in Malawi and a year that has seen Malawi awaiting it since the demise of the Late President Professor Bingu Wa Mutharika.

Political game in this year is promising to be unprecedented and fingers are crossed on what the outcome shall be come May 20th. The year promises many political heavyweights in different brands. Much more with the fact that since the fateful September 23rd night, cashgate scandal has been the limelight for most political debates and cannot be thrown under the carpet. The year sounds uncharacteristically packed with surprises as we turn off the pages towards the decision date - election day. There seems to be 'too much to swallow' on the offer for a political mind, and we need to accept one fact, that the year will determine political winners and losers, will separate men from boys politically. I would like to offer some analyses of the year and ensure that I drive home what I presume should be the vision of the nation towards the next half-a-century beyond 2014.

Political Maturity...
The mode of politics practised in the nation is antagonistic and irrelevant, if we are to assess the results of the same and its time the political game became mature.. Politics in the country takes advantage of the majority poor and thrives in the ignorant rural populations. Such politics is devoid of fact and policy measures that can take this country into the distant prosperous future. Political vision is so undefined. Since most of the political parties have not yet released their manifestos, one wonders, on what premises, shall voters use to vote for 'this' political party or candidate. There seem to be other huge problems with the political game in Malawi. Political legacies which have refused to die and have been passed on from one political echelons to another. The political actors remain unchanged while political names and political brands keep changing. The unfixing political support of 'the government of the day' has been a song which in spite of the criticisms have characterised most political prostitutes. Our members of parliament learn a lesson only after their term is almost served and relegate the information at the back of their minds, once another term begins. Political leaders have no vision for the country, they usually thrive on their predecessors plans and goals. Our strategy papers remain colourful on paper and vanish unrealised because of lack of political will. Such a political game has left the government bureaucracy directionless, turning the technocrats into vultures of the public purse. The nation doesn't seem to pose any threat, even to our neighbours and as the fight against corruption remains rhetoric than practical, leaving the powerless fishes down the hook responsible for the whole game...

Political maturity is needed and an overhaul in the political system is what the citizens of the nation need the most. The political decisions keep affecting us all, as such we cannot comfortably divorce our engagement in the political matters of the country. What the country needs is a refreshing political game and an unambitious political plan that would unearth the best of this nation. What we need is a political 'John Chilembwe' leader of some sort, who would embrace the interests of the poor 80% Malawians and utilize the little resources the nation has been blessed by. Political game should be founded on policy not partisanship. This is a stance, not many political scientists, would agree with. But policy-based political game would minimize political 'ratting' in the august house thereby minimize the violation of section 65 and ensure that political opportunists, whose mental agenda is 'serving the government of the day', are defined for who they are. We need visionary manifestos, surprisingly political parties have refused to sell their ideas to the electorate but have come forth to disburse 'handouts'. The mentality of 'giveaways' in the country, is what has syphoned the government resources, as after the handouts have run dry, one would want to replenish or payback. Political game in Malawi has mimicked a business investment, where returns must outweigh capital. If I would want to contest for an MP of my area, I would have to raise funds for my campaign which is calculable by publicity plus logistics plus handouts... I would assume the constituents to be 'dogs' who would wave their tails the moment I release a piece of meat or something... The political game of handouts has thrived in the country due to lack of principles... the citizenry and leadership alike are empty of principles for humanity, thus we want free gifts to choose a 'choice political leader'. Leadership is not defined by the quality and quantity of gift on offer, just as we cannot define a good husband from a 3Cs criteria (Cash, Car and Cellphone/Circumcision). The choice leader for the nation, it is sad to say, will not be the one who gives us fish, it will be the one who trains us how to fish. We need principled leadership and policy direction in this nation. The political game must therefore change into a developmental political game, if at all we intent to be a developmental state...

A better nation...
This country has what it takes to flourish and rate itself to what it wants to be. Malawi is a sleeping giant with all resources it needs. For instance, I bang my head to think that the nation has adequate water resources, yet the country fails to carter supply for its two million six hundred thousand urban dwellers... the country fails to turn the greenbelt project rhetoric into reality and become a bread basket for the Sub-Saharan Africa... The nation still falters in hydro-electricity supply for its business sector, despite the ever-flowing river Shire and the never-ending stories of floods in the Lower Shire... The nation boasts to possess brains and people of brilliant acumen, graduates of our prestigious universities, whose national contribution remain insignificant, sad to say... I believe most of these graduates are let down by the form of leadership and legacy that is choking our nation... I believe that the nation has been let down by the nature of its leadership... Our leaders have, in as far as governance is concerned, been shortsighted to serve two 'five year' terms superfluously seeking wealth and amassing inter-generational riches... The state of the nation is a clear statement that patriotism ends on the inauguration podium and what takes centre stage beyond inauguration is self-interest... A better nation is only realised when self-less individuals, vested with a national vision take leadership positions, when the citizenry turns on a hardworking attitude and expect to see change from the grass root levels to the political helm of government. The results of this mentality are obvious. Egypt and DRC offers classical examples of consequences of leadership where leaders are obsessed with self-wealth accummulation. In Egypt, Hosni Mubarak amassed wealth to the tune of US$70 Billion, yet the rural and urban masses lamented on poor public policy, the same was for DRC, where Joseph Mobutu Sese seko had wealth worth US$ 4 Billion... In fact one publisher stated that African leaders have been more wealthy than the leaders of the west developed countries, citing that the total net worth of ALL US presidents is US $ 2.7 billion according to a report compiled in The Atlantic written by editors of 24/7 Wall Street, a Delaware based financial news tabloid. But surprisingly most African leaders have soared above this wealth with significant margins... For instance, General Sani Abacha possessed wealth worth US $ 20 billion, Felix Houphouet-Boigny of Cote d’Ivoire possessed wealth of US $6 billion and another Nigerian leaders, General Ibrahim Babangida was worth US $5 billion.

Concluding Remarks...
The year 2014 would be a year to remember if the nation chooses to lament on what has been achieved over the last 50 years and decides to improve... it shall be a year to remember should the electorate take to the polls with a better, visionary political choice leader and political party. It shall be a year to remember should our government structures be overhauled and a new mentality of patriotism and nation-building shake the thinking of our bureaucrats. It will definitely be a year to remember should the political game change to reflect a political game consistent with characters of a developmental state...