Analysing Mutharika’s one year of office

It was not a stress-free boulevard, there were a lot of miseries, political blockages from the DPP competitors which made the bid so coarse, marred with dogmatic persecution, elusive centred politics directed at filibustering his bid, and surely, it was a tit for tat election and strongly contested ever in the history of Malawi.

Malawi Presiden Peter Muthatrika and vice president Saulos Chilima
Malawi Presiden Peter Muthatrika and vice president Saulos Chilima

Accord, adoration, sacrifice, congruence, emphasis and harmonized efforts can better label how the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) hoisted in solidarity with one common objective; bouncing back into power to claim the lost splendour and liberate Malawi from the wicked regime it was with Joyce Banda.

There had been on numerous occurrences attempts to stop Mutharika either by arresting him or using the green card issue which just surfaced over sudden but to no effect.

Even when votes were casted, there were efforts to nullify the results when those that were in power sensed that the election after-effects were hardly t in their favour. The Nation waited tolerantly to see who their next President was, even though the period was sensationalized by Joyce Banda with her cohorts , trying one trick after the other as well as quoting wrong brackets from the same constitution she was supposed to protect and defend at all times.

Tactlessly, JB was not that shrewd as she miscarried to rape the constitution and pickpocket the triumph which was for Arthur Peter Mutharika and Democratic Progressive Party.

When the day came that APM was to take control and handled over the sword of power. We all know that the political heavyweights gathered at Kamuzu Stadium to congratulate Arthur Peter Mutharika, unexpectedly, the woman who suffered the election fate than anyone else and was the holder of the sword was nowhere to be seen.

Since this day, Joyce Banda has being living in abjuration. As for the President Peter Mutharika, on numerous occasions he has articulated to have extended his olive branch to her but she has failed to accept it.

On the other side of the coin, the bid was successful for DPP but for a start. It was not an unpretentious task for President Peter Mutharika to take over headship from a regime which had blustered away billions of tax payers’ and donors money in cash gate scandal, a development which forced the donor community to desert Malawi from the budgetary support she was enjoying from them.

This meant two things for Mutharika and his administration. Either to adopt a zero aid budget he promised and progress or have nothing and fail. It was such a difficult litmus test to start his presidency from.

Mutharika’s administration introduced several reforms to deal with excessive cost which were avoidable. Some of them included having a lean cabinet, withdrawing some vehicles from cabinet ministers, reducing the number of staff that accompanies him when he is travelling from his plot number one. This worked but still a commoner faced some challenges just as the government did to meet ends.

At this same time, the donor community was rigid to start disbursing funds to Malawi, as they were not so sure if their money would be used prudently or wasted like manna and never help to improve the living standard of the rural masses which are hugely affected by poverty levels.

Despite the fact that the opposition parties and the CSO’s were aware of the glitches that this country was going through parsimoniously, some of them started escalating pressure on Mutharika to step down when the civil service demanded a pay rise which saw strikes in some government departments and other arms of government.

Everyone knew that this country had lost its major donors and it was not that easy   for our needs to be met in a space of few months when the Mutharika leadership was trying to put the house in order and setting aside financial reforms which would give confidence in our development partners that cash gate would never happen and the levels of corruption slowed down.

The president pleaded with Malawians that his government was doing everything to put things back on track, the Minister of Finance on the other hand assured the masses that with what government had put in place, he was sure that donors would resume aid as the confidence they were looking for was restored back.

Within his one year of office, Mutharika has managed to fulfil some of his promises such as the launch of community colleges, the public service reform, lean cabinet, and grand breaking ceremony for some infrastructure development, dealing with cash gate related cases, restoring the donors confidence, the launching of Decent and Affordable Housing scheme as well as being the office man as he promised.

As Mutharika is entering in his second year of presidency, his government must make sure that it delivers and stick to what it promised. If the donors resume aid, fiscal discipline must be exercised. The president must also make sure that his party is strengthened at grassroots level and his partnership with the private sector must be maintained as these are the major economic players.

Otherwise, kudos to the president for the spending performance in his first year of office despite few challenges that needs to be addressed as well.

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Hardwick Mwenda
8 years ago

Failing TEVET programs and you believe Community colleges principle will work out? Ask those who graduated from these our Technical colleges what benefits and changes are produced? Most of you who are commending this community colleges establishment donLt know what you are talking about. Having more elictricians but poor elctricity generation, having alot of builders yet you only believe in staying in a brick house and believe you are civilised, having numerous carpenters yet you have depleted all trees, and so on. Having food security mind why not financial security? Poor subjective dunderheads kumangoyamika zilizonse muluzi atatulutsa ti ma fifty… Read more »

chamz
chamz
8 years ago

Much as we appreciate that writing is an art, we should remember that we aim at communicating with the reader. there is too much jargons or deep vocabulary which I think would make a layman to understand your article. the principal is, write to communicate and not to display your know-how on the language. mufuna kuposa a Dausi!!!!!

wa dpp
wa dpp
8 years ago

dpp is still better, vision driven leaders, like Bingu

Lupanga
8 years ago

Ndachita nseru

Lutundu Wa Lutundu
Lutundu Wa Lutundu
8 years ago

Very objective. MCP party of death and darkness wanted APM govt to fall down. Malawian, Peter is our president, support him. Never, never think that u will come mu boma thru backdoor. Kulankhula bwino English doesn’t mean kuti mungalamule bwino boma. Community colleges very good project. New DPP cadets under Peter well disciplined

Biggie
Biggie
8 years ago

We people are sooo inhuman. What could you expect the president to have done with the situation Malawi was when Banda left office? We ourselves are the ones bringing this country down. You sit and wait for Peter to do to you everything. What have you done to help turn the situation around as an individual? Some of you are unclean as far as cashgate is concerned. We criticise too much and most of it is un-constructive criticism. When you criticise sonebody for doing or failing to do something that you deem ‘wrong or right’ you are supposed to provide… Read more »

Kenkkk
Kenkkk
8 years ago

What I read here is very embarrassing, is this malawi Voice hijacking Nyasatimes?

Chance, you are a Typical Ben cadet who remains loyal without supporting Ntata. What you write in malawi voice is not enough for you?

orila
orila
8 years ago

Palibe tionapo ife zopanda mutu zakozi

KALOWERE
KALOWERE
8 years ago

Yausilu

White Achiwajinji
White Achiwajinji
8 years ago

The content does very little to reflect on the heading. Afterall are there any achievements worth talking about during the year.

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