Ntata’s Uncommon Sense: Malawi failed state – Diagnosis and prescription

You need only to look at the zero development that the current Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration has achieved for you to be mystified that it is still in power.With respect to security, even Police Officers are finding themselves at the wrong end of the deteriorating situation. Flags, as we speak, are flying at half-mast following the brutal murder of the head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) at Chipoka Police in Salima District, Inspector Rhoda Pilirani Ng’oma. May her beautiful soul rest in peace!

Still on the same security, or insecurity to be precise, NicholausDausi has this week been shopping, replacing some valuables after his residence was subjected to a burglary.With the institution he heads often coming up on social media as being connected to all sorts of unsavoury operations, e.g. that forgotten ‘political’ burglary at the German Diplomat’s house, late IssaNjauju’s murder killing whose investigations – God knows why – are compromised by political interference, and the arson at the MEC Warehouse, one would be tempted not to pity him.

But hey, we are a God-fearing people so I will extend my sympathy to Dausi in this most trying time. With prices skyrocketing as they are under the leadership of President Mutharika, no hoodlum has a right to be robbing anyone, even another hoodlum.

All I can say is that if the Chief Spy’s house is not immune from burglars, how about yours and mine?

I will skip the hunger situation this time. The Mutharika Government, and even the youthful VP, DrSaulosiChilima are happy to put the blame on God. So let’s let God take care of that one, shall we?

What crap!

I will focus on the shortage of drugs in hospitals, unaffordable university fees compounded by loans that the really needy cannot access, and the governance system in turmoil.

Moving up to grand corruption, we are witnessing an unprecedented surge in corruption ably supervised and abetted by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

While at it, the compromised ACB’s DG has unilaterally reversed the ACB’s mandate from fighting corruption to ensuring that   corruption thrives.

Fellow  “Uncommon Sensors”, this is close to the situation of Somalia minus the Al-Shabaab, and no matter how hard I tried, I cannot describe failed statehood any better.

For the sake of those living in denial, I will recap. At domestic level, hoodlums are waylaying even police officers; burglars are ransacking Himmler’s own residence, and we have daily shootouts between police and car thieves.

Among the elites, connected and powerful crooks are ransacking the treasury; ACB is pursuing those that foil corrupt high-level deals, while people building twenty-eight mansions simultaneously – but with no discernible source of income – are being protected.

For the masses, promising students are dropping out from universities due to insensitive fee rises, people are dying from curable diseases and a whole washing machine can go missing at a Central Hospital.

Now what do you call that? A successful state?

Diagnosis done, I must now move to the prescription.  But before I offer my prescription, are President Arthur Peter Mutharika and his DPP wholly to blame?

The answer is no. You, fellow Uncommon Sensors, and I shoulder half the blame, while the other is on Peter Mutharika’s shoulders.

Being in agreement as we are that the performance and projected direction of Mutharika’s administration for most Malawians reads: “doom” what can we do to redeem Malawi from failed statehood?

The questions we must grapple with are: Do we Malawians have the balls to act and salvage what remains of Malawi? Do we have the courage to exercise our birthright to demonstrate to this administration that we have had enough of failed leadership?

But what can we do, you ask.

Well, consider the following: The riots across Tunisia in December 2010, the demonstrations in Moscow in December 2011, the fasting and street marches in New Delhi in March 2012, the street movements in Slovenia, Quebec, Iraq, Azerbaijan, and Wukan (Southern China)…

What was the common factor in all these? The answer is corruption or rather they were fuelled by popular wish to remove corrupt administrations.

And corruption – no matter how one chooses to define it – is arguably the common denominator in all countries termed as poor or to be politically correct, “developing”.

Due to this evil, in most countries classified as poor, people occupying leadership positions and their cronies amass amounts of wealth in record times, while a record number of their people sink deeper below the poverty line.

And hence, citizens get fed up, and rise to say enough is enough.

It is a fact that behind some of the riots, strikes, street demonstrations and the political turmoil witnessed in the past years were other factors inter alia anti-regime, anti-corruption, and anti-repression.

Here in Malawi, our dire situation has now been well documented.

I do not know how else to make the case that we now have a leader and a party governing without any popular mandate, and worse, who do not give a heck for you and your children’s welfare.

And don’t tell me now, after I have said all this, that you don’t know what you can do.

The word “Democracy” derives from the Greek words “demos” and “kratos” meaning “people” and “rule” respectively such that it may be broadly defined as the rule of the people and, indeed, Abraham Lincoln famously defined democracy as “Government of the people by the people for the people.

Therefore, inherent in Mutharika’s administration’s legitimacy to govern is the principle that he must only continue to govern IF he has the confidence of the people and demonstrates that his is a good government.

Now let me ask you bluntly: do you have confidence in this failed leadership cruising us to failed statehood? Is there an inkling of hope that it will change?

If your answers are NO, then this is the time we emancipated ourselves from this because none but ourselves can set us free.

Are you with me?

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!