Letter from Sapitwa: I love the reactions will send you another one soon
Jessies Kabwira saying less than you know is great. I open today with an editorial of one of the newspapers I admire in Africa, the Post of Zambia. This week as I pondered on the comical approach to politics by the Malawi Congress Party, I found an
inspiration from their editorial. Part of it reads:
“There is too much careless talk among our politicians and their followers. If some of them could keep their mouths shut, some of the confusion, chaos we are today witnessing wouldn’t be there.
Our politicians seem to have the habit of jumping into trouble mouth-first. They often talk without thinking, without digesting the issues at hand. Their brains behave like a stomach infested with diarrhoea bacteria – where digestion becomes a problem. They open their mouths and talk as if they had diarrhoea of the mouth and constipation of the brain. What we are saying is very important and it is not in any way intended to undermine or ridicule a particular individual. The book of Job reminds us, “How forcible are right words.” We pose the question: what would happen if you changed what you said about your biggest problem, your biggest opportunity?
Our daily commitment ought to be, ‘Oh, please, fill my mouth with worthwhile stuff and nudge me when I have said enough.’ The human tongue is only a few inches from the brain, but when you
listen to some people talk, mouth and mind seem miles apart. The tongue runs fastest when the brain is in neutral.
It is difficult to understand how some of our political leaders can go on radio or call a press briefing and talk about things they don’t know or know very little about. They are not even afraid to talk about other people when the information they have about them is unverified or unverifiable. They can accuse others of treasonable things without any evidence whatsoever. We have heard some politicians accusing others of building private armed units without any tangible evidence whatsoever to back their claims or charges.
The sad part is even when the truth is brought to them, they have no moral courage to retract their claims and apologise. An apology to them is something they can never imagine doing because it is a sign of weakness, of failure. How can acknowledging a truth be a sign of weakness or failure? It is actually a clear sign of one’s weaknesses, failure, insincerity and dishonesty to fail to acknowledge facts, truths that one got wrong.
They are every day telling lies about their political opponents, but they are so sensitive even to undesirable truth being told about them.
Look at the media outlets they praise! What is the quality of those media outlets when it comes to truth and facts? Look at the lies, innuendos and insults that go on in the media outlets they praise and cherish! Are these the media standards they really desire and want to see for this country?
The truth is that they don’t care about any lie, innuendo or insult directed at their political opponents. To them, that is in their favour because it is weakening the standing of their political opponents to their benefit. And as such, that needs to be supported regardless of its inaccuracy, malice and so on and so forth.
They will never have truthful words for anyone they consider to be a political opponent. But truthful words do not cost much. They never blister the tongue or lips. Mental trouble was never known to arise from such quarters. Though truthful words do not cost much, they accomplish much. They bring out a good nature in others. They also produce their own image of a human being’s soul, and what a beautiful image it is!But untruthful words have a way of reaching back and claiming you.”
Kuzigulila malo project, MCP apology and Youth League uniform
Let me first acknowledge the warm (was it hot?) I received. Surely most of the comments did not say whether what was published was true or false, many of them accused me of having some oranges in my mouth or rather hands. It’s a good idea, but facts remain facts. No offence taken, I appreciate that you took your precious time to go through it, that’s valuable to any writer and any feedback is a great bonus-good or bad, blue or yellow, orange or green. I am not sure what John Chisi and Helen Singh uses, but I would love a copy of their manifestos. If you have them, send me a copy please.
Being sober during this season is not an option. You have to admire the many prophets (with a small P) as I don’t trust any of them. It’s a biblical thing, yes, Malawi is a God fearing nation, kakolope mu lake Malawi ngati sukufuna, that we should not trust them as prescribed in Luke 21 verse 8.
It pays to have a prophet of your own, Mr. Kamuzu Chibambo, the all-conquering President of the Peoples Transformation Party (Petra) has one and he was assured in 2009 that he will become President of Malawi. He was given three signs and wonders, they came to pass, but he is still yet to take up his home at Sanjika Palace.
This election we have a prophet for each candidate, can’t help to smile what will happen on 21 May, 2014 when finally reality will hit 10 of the 11 candidates that only one was going to win.
That is why most of the candidates for Presidency should not be taken seriously. Very few of them have even bothered to go into Central Region or Northern Region to campaign, we only hear of adverts and a few staged rallies covered in print media in Blantyre, Chiradzulu and nearby districts.
These pretenders are mainly millionaires trying to strategically place themselves in a position to bargain for the rich Government business from whoever, if not obvious that President Joyce Banda will continue, comes after 20 May, 2014.
The project is called “kuzigulila malo” and it’s the same with Civil Society quacks masquendering as voices of the poor when governance does not exist in their personalised, family briefcase NGIs (Non-Governmental Individuals) and of course Go-NGO’s (Governmental Non-Governmental Organisations) like FND.
Everyone knows this election is very close and after May 20, an alliance of sort is what will merge especially in Parliament. The unfortunate part is the greedy opposition parties failed to unite to defeat the Peoples Party. Now, one of them is likely to partner with the PP to form a working majority in Parliament.
This is where “kuzigulila malo” artists come in. You have running mates dumping candidates, people afraid of releasing punches to each other. Yes this is a very quiet campaign. Perhaps we needed Bright Malopa’s wisdom of Makiyolobasi which would have added the sadistic entertainment the DPP enjoyed in insulting other party leaders and complain about bitterly using a public broadcaster.
The NGIs and Go-NGOs wore some Blue, Orange, Yellow or Green colours have now gone quite, not sure what will happen after May, 2014.
The silence from the trumpet singers who specialised in attacking President Joyce Banda is evident as some keep meetings at night with three opposition leaders. From the mountain top our best advice to such group is to do Ka-Mia. Resign, don’t run, shut up enjoy looking after goats and cattle’s.
However the verbose seem to be running everywhere. Churches suddenly have divine light and are giving advice on how to vote. The same church that supported and decorated a “killing dictator” who publicly professed that he will “feed his people to crocodiles” called multiparty advocates “a bongololo” today thinks we should pay attention to their political criterion.
The more they talk of change, the more they look the same. Apart from the American accent of their President, the green camp still wears “the dictators face”, hated “League of Malawi Youth” and displays the despised “Unity, Loyalty, Obedience and Discipline” doctrines with zeal and happiness and ask us to vote for change. We must be a sick nation.
You cannot wear a badge of the dictator and call yourself a democrat, you can’t proclaim unity, loyalty and discipline in a democracy where free choices reign.
No wonder I don’t believe people like Dr. Jessie Kabwira, quite out-spoken, Jehovas Witness argumentative fellow will add new value to our politics. People who ask MCP to apologise have a point, Dr. Kabwira missed the point.
In Chitipa families of the Nyondos, in Karonga and Rumphi families of the Chisizas, Kanyama Chiumes, in Nkhatabay families of Manuoah Chirwa, Orton Chirwa, in Mzimba families of Inkosi Chindi, Mkwapatira Mhangos’ in Kasungu the Gadamas, in Nkhotakota the Kalowafumbi Khofis,
in Dedza the Sangalas, in Mchinji the Kaphwiti Banda’s in Ntcheu the Matenjes, Mpasu’s, Muwalo Nqumayo, in Mangochi the Silomberas, Chipembere, Semberekas and Ntewas, in Blantyre the Bwanausis, Attati Mpakati, the Mpinganjiras in Mulanje, Chakuambas in Nsanje the Chiwanga’s in Chikwawa and almost other thousands unknown and known like David Rubadiris, Aleke Banda’s and Jack Mapanje.
These families for information of Dr. Jessie Kabwira and her apologists, their futures were disturbed and they still have nightmates by mere mention of the name Kamuzu. Bringing out that dreaded red Youth League Uniform is the worst indicator of a reformed party.
The Late Daniel Phiri (my multiple choice of three names) had decency to use change to Young Cadets to clearly indicate that they were becoming an army against Malawians.
So just because you suffer from verbal diarrhoea, it means you can tell the Gadama-Matenje-Chipembere-Chiwanga family, “go to hell the old man said sorry but he was the best thing for you”.
No compensation will ever be enough for anyone when they killed your parents, chased you from school and someone wears that face proudly.
Kamuzu was evil, he ripped and killed his own people for merely disagreeing with him and Dr. Kabwira should have consulted Professor Edge Kanyongolo before answering insensitively to such an emotional issue.
Dr. Kabwira was at the funeral of the Late Robert Chasowa, she was around when Late Daniel Phiri (that’s the name I like from his three names, it was after all given by his loving brother, the family man Professor Tate). She cried, now I guess with crocodile tears with the July 20 victims families.
Seriously she thinks the Chasowas and the families of July 20 no longer deserves an apology again and again from the DPP. They should smile and welcome warmly Patricia Kaliati, Vuwa Kaunda and Dr. Ntaba who amplified Daniel Phiri’s rants that those that died deserved it?
Does she know the nightmares the name DPP brings to these families just like the MCP to Vera Chirwa or Gwanda Chakuamba.
The Tswana’s have a saying “to kiss a child is to kiss a mother” in simple translation, denying to apologies is to justify the Kamuzu killings and abuse of Malawians. Only someone with values and principles would not want to drag us into debating whether Kamuzu was a saint or a devils agent and if he really killed or not despite publicly warning Kanyama that he will be “meat for crocodile.”
Dr. Kabwira has been in politics for a few months, she has already forgotten the rot of politicians she religiously criticised.
From Sapitwa Mountain, we shudder with fear with such arrogance in opposition where vocabulary is “we already apologised and they are already dead” or “nonsense” or “ndikulozani ndine nfiti” coming from self-confessed agents of change.
And then… The human tongue is only a few inches from the brain, but when you listen to some people talk, mouth and mind seem miles apart. The tongue runs fastest when the brain is in neutral.
… here we go, angry reactions, will talk of cashgate in the next letter, great campaigning.
