Peter Mutharika, the report card: Tenthani’s Muckracking
“There is no value in arrogance” Lot Dzonzi
If Peter Mutharika were a university student he was surely set to sit for ‘supplementary examinations’ for he has surely failed to impress on almost all departments.
As a university don with 40 years experience to his name, Peter will certainly agree with the Muckraker that he has nothing to write home about about his seven months he has been in office.
Granted, seven months may not be enough time for anyone to impress but, despite her other short-comings, Joyce Banda managed to solve most of the ills she inherited from her predecessor, Bingu wa Mutharika, within a month of her accidental presidency. Fuel queues disappeared, so was the situation of forex and donors were back in town, that we surely cannot take away from her.
But for seven months we are not sure where the country is heading to. Ok, Peter has not bothered us with daily appearances on the road or on TV but at least we have to feel we have a leader.
Of course his deputy has been making all the right noises about public service reforms. But that is still work in progress.
Delivery on campaign promises has certainly been a “C” if you factor in the lean cabinet and the Malata subsidy programme. But the “business unusual” approach to governance has been a complete “F” for the Mutharika administration.
In 2015 Peter has to realise he is leading from the front, not as an errand boy of his big brother.
This is what he has to do if he has to get straight “As” at the end of the year:
For starters, he has to be quick and decisive in making decisions. But, while he has to be quick and decisive, he needs to critically think through his decisions.
Flip-flopping on important issues shows a leader who is not sure what he has to do. Sealing ACB offices today and opening them tomorrow expose a leader who acts on feats of anger and realises he has goofed when he sobers up.
Another thing Peter has to learn quickly is the folly doing the same things and expecting same results all the time.
Look, he might have fooled a few people by cheating that he has rejected his cabinet’s demand for obscene salary increases. But to expect similar results by cheating us that he has increased his own salary by almost 100 percent today and reversing that decision tomorrow is taking us too much for granted.
On the same score he should not expect better results from tried and tested hands whose works almost pushed his big brother off the precipice. The fact that he is flip-flopping on issues could be the work of those people who advised his brother he could win a blinking game with university lecturers, fire them if they do not blink first, only to do an embarrassing mea culpa eight months later.
Now Peter is doing the same thing with the university, the ACB and the Judiciary. He is threatening to withhold their perks, a thing that will be embarrassingly reversed soon.
Peter also has to learn to be empathetic in the new year. He has to put his new buddy Bakili Muluzi to good use in this department. Look, while we do not want him to be on the road daily opening this lodge here and that motor showroom there, there are certain events he must not miss.
For example, almost a dozen police officers perished on his convoy the other day. That was one funeral ceremony he should not have missed. Granted, government might have borne the cost of the funerals but his physical presence would have communicated the right message not only to the bereaved families and the police service but to the entire country as well. After all, the officers died serving him.
But to achieve all these the crucial thing he has to get right is communicating right messages speedily, candidly and coherently.
For example, rumbling statements full of Pharisees and innuendoes do not communicate anything. Be concise and clear. Of course there are many issues government must not dignify with a comment. Answering everything the opposition or detractors say makes government sound petty.
The President obviously has a lot on his ‘to do’ list in the new year. But he first needs a complete ‘make over’ if he is to get straight “As” in 2015.
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Kaya zanu izo
People of malawi what have we done to our country to take out these problems???? the Tenthani we are talking about is just somebody who cant contribute anything to the running of this country, what he knows is criticing kuti anthu amutame. the past government squandered all the moneys they found from the by then previous government and we expect Malawi to run as it was. let them bring back our taxes..
spot on Tenthani. APM behaves as an errand boy. he forgets that we elected him to lead us. there is also a problem with the opposition. they should constantly check on him, hold meetings with him and tell him the truth because his decisions and bad governance affects the whole country. however, the opposition seems to pride on the hope that APMs failure gives them the chance to win the elections. this is a very wrong approach. they should be able to point out issues the way you are doing. Keep on doing the good work. we love your honesty… Read more »
Peter thought it is easy to run a country. Rigging election was the easy part but to run a country is another. The old man does not have a clue. To make matters worse, his advisers are bunch of fools who have never run even a business or work in public sector.
This government is Joke!
Iwe Tenthani, did you send an advice to the president in the first place so he could not miss the funeral of the departed Cops? Why do you always find something to write about from history? You are such kind of a Jorno who cannot analyse things to see what a decision will result into but rather somebody who says ‘this is so because that happened’. For sure you are an ‘After Event Analyst’. Poor you and you get an F from me as well.
As a country Malawi is going to the dogs
THE POLICE CASE THAT IS TRUE AND IT COULD BE A NATIONAL CORCERN AT ALL.
As the caravan moves on, the dogs led by tenthani barks at it. I’m afraid you have solid 5 years to keep on barking.
‘Ask not what your government has done for you but what you have done to your country’ so a certain saying goes. This advice is relevant to Malawi since independence, why?, we are so drunk with criticizing our political leaders when we fail to assess our own life styles. When a police officer who is paid to reduce crime is failing his job, what it is our reaction-we blame the president. when the judiciary are making obscene salary and benefits demands which would affect our account number one, what do we do as tax payers-we rally behind the people who… Read more »
peter mutharika failed us, he act like he is out of ideas