“People shouldn’t be afraid of their government. Governments should be afraid of their people”, Alan Moore
Flashback 2020
Frankly speaking, I am not only apolitical but also non-partisan. Being apolitical means that I do not care which political party or which political ideology is favoured in Malawi, as long as the rampant abject poverty and cancerous corruption are vehemently addressed without any bias. It is against this background that I support the government of the day. Supporting a regime does not necessarily mean abandoning the sense of reasoning so that we should applaud any regressive endeavour our government is undertaking. Any patriotic citizen should be at the forefront of offering constructive criticisms to the incumbent regime.
In 2019 and 2020, many Malawians followed the wind by castigating the then ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) regime in favour of Tonse Alliance’s empty promises such as three meals a day and creation of one million jobs, among others. Unfortunately, as a seasoned political analyst, I had a different view because I knew that usually the grass looks greener when viewed from a distance. No wonder I too was castigated from left, right and centre.
The reality on the ground under President Chakwera
It is therefore not surprising that those who castigated me for holding dissenting views have now realised their mistakes. They are now patting me on the back. They see for themselves that our economy is deteriorating. The current regime is at the forefront of promoting corruption. Abject poverty is the order of the day. Delivery of public services is just another thorn in the flesh. It seems like many Malawians are now realising that things were much better during Peter Mutharika’s regime than they are now.
With the status quo, should we just sit idly by, either calling for early elections or waiting for the 2025 general elections? Not at all. This is the time President Chakwera needs the support of every Malawian most. We have one Malawi to serve.
As for me, I have done my part. Just after President Chakwera’s ascendancy to power, I proposed that cleaning the rubble in our government requires a complete overhaul of the whole system. The starting point was to conduct a comprehensive audit exercise to discover and seal all corruption holes. Unfortunately, this advice fell on deaf ears.
Instead, the Tonse Alliance government decided to inherit the corrupt system from previous regimes. In addition, they deliberately manoeuvred the whole Government machinery so as to exploit more avenues of breeding corruption. These included ensuring that the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is headed by the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) sympathizer, Ms. Martha Chizuma, who is just waiting for her term to expire. They also promoted most of the judges who presided over the 2019 Presidential elections case to Justices of the Supreme Court of Appeal.
Truth be told, the MCP regime has taken control of all public institutions in Malawi, including the ACB, the National Assembly, the legislature and many more. The agenda is not to serve common Malawians per se but to hold on to power indefinitely.
Galileo’s telescopical glance over Malawi’s political landscape in 2025
Galileo Galilei was a prominent scientist who developed his telescope that enabled him to ascertain that the earth is spherical in shape and revolves around the sun, dubbed a concept of heliocentrism. Take note that during this time, most people believed that it was the sun that was revolving around the flat earth. This shows that it is possible that many people can be wrong while a single person may be right. So avoid the bandwagon fallacy, also known as argumentum ad populum.
We therefore need to critically ask analytical questions before accepting any political propaganda. The question is, was the 2019 presidential election really rigged? Is President Chakwera really a performer compared to Prof. Peter Mutharika? If not, was the change of regime worth the cost? Better the devil you know than the angel you don’t, so they say.
My telescopic view on the political landscape in Malawi confirms that Malawians are likely to be taken by the wind again in 2025. As we near 2025, many politicians will change colours like a chameleon. Others will start castigating each other as if they are not corruptly draining the government coffers together. You will see them again eating raw, dirty usipa or locally fried chips in an attempt to buy votes from gullible and vulnerable Malawians.
Conclusion
Despite all empty promises by the incumbent regime, any patriotic Malawian should give all the support to President Chakwera so that if he fails, let him do so on his own. If Martha Chizuma shields Eisenhower Mkaka from officially taking a stand on his Mercedes Benz bribe, we can support the Tonse Alliance regime by bringing the tangible evidence.
I also urge all Malawians of good will to be whistleblowers of theft and corruption. If the judiciary protects friends, acquaintances, and accomplices of corruption, all patriotic Malawians should join hands to ensure that justice is not only done but seen to be done. If President Chakwera condones corruption by pardoning corruption suspects like Bakili Muluzi and corruption convicts like Uladi Mussa, we can show that we love our country by condemning such acts. If Chakwera’s regime is taking Malawians for granted by not fulfilling the campaign promises, let us hold them accountable and love our country.
I believe that any patriotic Malawian should support President Chakwera, but not blindly. We should be critical of his actions and hold him accountable for his promises. We should also be vigilant against corruption and hold those who are responsible to account. Only by working together can we make Malawi a better place for all.
I am saying this because we have only one Malawi to serve.
