Catholic priest says Malawians should stop electing thieves
Catholic priest Father Ernest Mwinganyama of Mangochi has added a voice on the state of governance in the country by apportioning the blame to Malawians for electing thieves into power and also the existing perceptions that leaders are bosses rather than watchmen.
Mwinganyama’s views comes against the background of the Civil Society demonstrations on the dwindling state of governance under the theme “Time to reclaim our destiny” held on 27 April and also the Catholic’s Pastoral Letter issued on 29 April under the theme “A call for a new era in Malawi”.
Delivering a homily centred on the just released Catholic’s Pastoral Letter – which has also gone viral on social media – aired on Radio Maria on Sunday, Father Mwinganyama said by virtue of electing thieves into government Malawians were also accomplice in the current worsening state of governance in the country.
“Some lawyers are busy defending thieves. Is this okay? In Malawi we elect thieves. If we elect thieves then certainly we are all thieves. We can’t honestly say we are not thieves after electing thieves. Worse still, after electing these thieves we continue to shield them. What kind of madness is this…? I am talking here about what the Episcopal Conference of Malawi’s pastoral letter is saying…” preached Mwinganyama.
The priest further gave an analogy of a watchman “mlonda” and his boss “bwana” to stress the point that leaders are supposed to be guided by the voters or peoples will, not their selfish interests.
“All of us know that the job of watchman is to provide security of the property of the owners –his boss. When you elect a President his job is certainly to take care of our property – in this case our taxes and public resources. Just like us priests, chairman Bishops, the President –whatever the party he or she holds – is a watchman. Ironically, some watchmen think that the property belongs to them. They have forgotten that the owners of the property are Malawians. The owners of the property can decide to fire the watchman. A good watchman knows how to respect the owners of the property. The money and public resources we have in Malawi is ours, it’s not for the watchman (the President). It’s our money, though some watchmen are found with this money in their houses. The President is not my bwana (boss). He is my servant. The President to me is a watchman. And sometimes I feel sorry when I hear some of you shouting to the President, “Bwana! Bwana!” How foolish are we?… This is my interpretation of the Pastoral Letter”, said the priest, a highly respected figure in the Catholic Church circles.
Reacting to the homily, Vice Chairperson of Human Rights Defenders Forum Gift Trapence said the ceremony reflects the reality of our democracy in Malawi especially in relation to our politicians who don’t respect Malawians who put them in office.
“There is too much impunity with our political leaders. They don’t respect their employers who are the tax payers. Our democracy can be meaningful if Malawians elects leaders who have the best interest for the people. Leaders who do not condone corruption. Things will change in Malawi if people do not entertain mediocre leadership and stop being passive,” said Trapence, who was also one of the CSO leaders who led Malawians in the 27th April demonstrations over deteriorating governance.
A renowned political commentator Dr Michael Jana- a political science lecturer Wits University in South Africa – said that the priests’ views only confirmed what one of his academic studies had revealed on the subject matter and hence commended the priest for being the change agent on mind-set change.
“In my thesis about 4 years ago, I grappled with determinants of political legitimacy in African emerging democracies. One interesting determinant was the perception of leaders as our parents – and Michael Schwartzberg’s work is instructive in this case. This becomes ironic in that if leaders don’t treat citizens as parents would fend for their children, the parents are deemed to have failed and this affects their performance based legitimacy. On the other hand, treating leaders as parents (as opposed to treating them as employees- Alonda) affects accountability of the leaders to their citizens whom they treat as their ‘kids’. Afrobarometer studies and papers e.g. Logan have addressed this aspect. I am glad that this priest is tackling this subject. He is a social change agent that is reminding us that we need to change our mindset. However, encouragingly the statistics (e.g. Afro barometer) shows that the proportion of Malawians who consider government as their parent (as opposed to mlonda) is going down” said Dr Jana, a former lecturer in the Department of Political and Administrative Studies at Chancellor College.
Adding his voice to the homily, a local governance analyst Makhumbo Munthali said Father Mwinganyama must be commended for clearly reminding Malawians about the principle of Social Contract as laid down in Malawi’s Constitution.
“The priest’s homily augurs well with not only the Episcopal Conference of Malawi’s Pastoral Letter’s call for Malawians to change their mind-set but also the CSO’s 10 point demands petition where the issue of Malawi’s Social Contract principle was quoted.
“While Section 6 of the Republic Constitution implies that a government that has not been elected through universal suffrage does not have authority to govern, Section 12 (c) safeguards the power of the people by implying that a government that no longer has the sustained trust of the people, regardless of the fact that it might have been duly elected through universal suffrage, has no authority to govern, and people have the mandate to remove it in accordance with the law”, said Munthali, a former national secretary of the Ethics, Peace and Justice Commission of Evangelical Association of Malawi and National Advocacy Coordinator for Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation.
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Facts:
1. You are a thief when you are convicted by the competent court
2. Malawi has more than 17 million people but less than 10 thousand demonstrated meaning that the majority did not take part and this can’t be vote of no confidence.
3. Catholic priests in Malawi have children.
4. Many Catholic priests and nuns have died of AIDS related diseases contracting HIV through sex yet we believe they’re not supposed to do sexual intercourse
5. Presidential appointments go to party loyalists who will work according to principles of that party
6. No demos were held after cash gate was uncovered.
7. Many NGOs are dominated by northerners if you doubt do a study
8. MCP strong hold is central region which is a region of chewas and their president is chewa by tribe
9. AFORD strong hold is northern region and ever since it has been led by a northerner
10. UDF strong hold is Eastern region where many yaos and muslims come from and their president come from that region.
11. DPP strong hold is southern region especially the Lhomwe belt and their president is from this region
12. Opponents of APM are saying DPP should now be led by someone outside the region but with support from the region
13. Chilima cannot be endorsed outside the convention
14. We hhave many mysterious murder cases so that of Njauju in one of them
Catholic bishops, don’t you know that lawyers defending thieves is DEMOCRACY – the DEMOCRACY you fought for. It seems you are confused about what democracy means. Did you want the thief to be thrown and killed in prison without trial. That’s why we don’t listen to you any more.
Let the priest throw the first stone if he knows that he has not done any sin. Let him prove to the world that what he receives as offerings and Mtulo is not from Katangale. How many children do we have that the priest have fathered in the community? What do he ask to be given when he is conduct a memorial mass or weddings? We can hire the pope to be president. Cardinals to be ministers and priest as MPs still the country will suffer from corruption. Why ? There is a need to change the way we do things from the ground to the top. You don’t remove the cobwebs only from the top or ceilings and leave the floor uncleared and say the house is clean. Have you asked your congregation where do they got the money to build those mansions, those big expensive cars and where do they get those hundreds of thousands when you are doing fundraising? Let him who is clean throw the first stone.
Don’t be a fool. The commitment and seriousness of a leader make his subjects to revere him and bring about the necessary change needed in a nation. A very good example is found in Tanzania, where Magufuli sasakelera za uchitsiru. That is how serious a leader should be; putting the country first and self behind. The Catholic priest was really right. Our bububu leader cannot bark, let alone bite at the beasts of pray around him. He is an accomplice in the crimes.
WHAT A WASTE OF TIME.
Jesus had 12 apostles. Judas Iscariot betrayed trust and had Jesus betrayed. This does not mean that all apostles were traitors. They continued with the mission of Jesus Christ. If Muhosha priest has betrayed trust, it does not mean that all priests have betrayed trust. Separate indivividual sins from community work. We, as staunch Catholics are behind our beliefs whether you like it or not. The journey continues.
The Civil Society, the clergy, academics and the media, have not adequately understood Malawi’s fundamental problem which politicians have long taken advantage of. We can’t solve Malawi’s current socio-economic and political state if we don’t understand Malawi’s root problem. Early colonialists, missionaries and post-independence politicians have bred a population of uneducated, delinquent children, incapable of independent critical thinking. Malawi’s 80% is in this category, mostly living in the rural areas and generally very poor. That being the case, one only needs to design a message that resonates to this constituency to win their votes and the current politicians know this very well. CSOs, the clergy and the educated can shout all they want (and only the 20% hears then anyway), we will never get to influence the other 80%. We need to be smart, innovative and revolutionary in the way we approach the “new” Malawi messaging. Get the educated 80%, predominantly living in urban areas, to go back to their villages and preach the very message the clergy has captured in the pastoral letter. This approach is the only chance we have, to effectively influence the other 80%. Otherwise the clergy will keep writing these pastoral letters addressed to the already converted 20%. Remember that the MCP-type politics, practised even today, does not recognise political leaders as servants of the people, but rather kings to be obeyed. They don’t regard themselves as security guards of property owned by the people; they regard themselves as property owners with servants to serve them. We need a complete overhaul of mindset and transformation of the mind of the otherwise dangerous 80%. Only we the citizens can do this. The country is under siege by it’s own political leaders who are hellbemt to loot just like the colonialists and their former post-independence political leaders. Once the economy is it’s knees, they will be the first to take their families a road to settle comfortably with our money. We really need to wake up from our slumber.
Well said, I have been thinking this for so long. I understand how our politicians misbehave, but someone in the rural areas doesnt know that he is the boss of the president, ministers, Mps etc.
LEGO, are you sure all ministers are corrupt? Does Callista agree with you? You mean even Callista’s anointed presidential candidate is corrupt? You are not serious LEGO.
I wonder why Malawians we take things for granted. Catholic priest are trying to address the problem that we malawians are facing but we still ignore this. The issue of the killing of allubino was already addressed and in their letter they stressed that they will wait until justice flows like a stream. Do we not admire the economy of our neighbouring countries? Look at how Kagame is performing, using the same strategy Malawi developed. where are we now? Malawi wanga, i cry for this country!!!!!
Whats the difference between electing thieves and the church having pastors who steal kids innocence by molesting kids, Catholic priests having kids out of wedlock? Catholic priest being involved in the albino killings and that not being addressed in the pastoral letter is so hypocritical.
Didn’t Bingu the biggest thief and the one who presided over the K236bn get endorsed by the same Catholic Church. Stay out of politics because you mislead the flock into choosing the thieves. You are the ones who enjoyed the most under Bingu and wined and dined with him at the expense of the poor.
What is your point now?Do you support these thieves?
ask him
Which side is he?
Mediocre thinking
Forgive him. He is so confused. Actually wazuka kumene amagona
No politician, church or any recognised body in malawi should lie that corruption can be fixed via an elected govt. Corruption is at the community, society level. If that isn’t fixed first, how do you expect to produce leaders? Hypocrites make the loudest noises.
everything is possible but yea u are right its a process
Yes the fight against corruption is for all but surely we need someone to provide leadership and that leadership should create working , non partisan , effective and vbrant systems in place. All these surely require political will. Unfortunately for us the current leadership is very much lacking and wanting . In other words peter mutharika has failed to lead malawi to fight corruption .
Vuto ndi loti amene akulankhula zonsezo mmipongomu, ndamrne asocheretsa unyinji WA anthi pa uzimu..mulungu sapanga za u nthira kuwiri…yesu anati” perekani za kaisala kwa kaosala ,za mulungi kwa mulungu”” mpongo ukuyenera kulombikotsa otsatira ake za chikondi, chifukwa chikpndi nde lamulo lalikulu..pali chikondi pamakhala mtendere,chilungamo,chimwemwe ndi zina zomse….lalikirani chikondi nthawi zomse…..
@ chikoti
Inu ndi opusa kwambiri mwamva. We are talking about malawi here our country and not about mipingo. Get lost with you DPP. Chikondi chili kuti pakati chiboma chako chakubachi you fool
Mwapanga ziwerewere,kuledzera,kupha ma albino now u ve started politics……ansembe abaala
In churches too people must not go to churches whose spiritual leaders kill albinos. What a pastoral letter? The whole letter without condemning the killing of albinos? Is it because you are involved?
Bravo CCAP Blantyre Synod for urging people to pray for the 2019 elections. That’s the duty of the church. Thanks too to Limbe Cathedral some Roman Catholic faithfuls for walking out during the reading of the biased pastoral letter. That was a peaceful demonstration against MDALITSO WA BODZA
They did well to go out. in the catholic church we say Zilekeni zonse zikulile pamodzi. Ttiligu ku nkhokwe, nansongole kumoto. Those who walked out are nansongole…. no big deal
If a priest was found with a case to answer about the albino does not mean all of them are involved.But this Government almost every Minister is corrupt so in short you must differentiate the two when rcommenting
the ones who walked out are DPP diehards you can be assured of that. this is not the first time the church has issued a pastoral letter.
inconvenient truth!!!! they walked out because of the truth that was said. if people should not go to church because its leaders kill albinos, should they continue to worship God who continues to watch and let that evil to happen? should they continue to support politicians who steal and plunder? Remember who have unresolved murder cases: Chasowa and Njaunju . Even among the twelve disciples, there was Judas, does it mean we should discredit Jesus’ gospel just because among him there was an evil one. INCONVENIENT TRUTH.
was the homily of the priest truthful? Then support it. If it is a false one condemn it.
You cannot succeed in attacking personalities.
“do what they say (men of God quite often deliver the word) but don’t do what they do (if it is bad)” That was your Jesus
Faulty and fallacious thinking from a DPP die hard devoid of real facts on the ground. If you red the letter that the Zomba diocese wrote, it clearly distanced the church from the personal activities of the accused priest. It finally concluded that disciplinary action would follow later after the courts are done with the case. The letter was loud and clear.
l wonder how many times should the Catholic Church in Malawi apologize on this issue, committed by one misguided and self enriching-oriented priest? And I also wonder in the same vein why the Moslem Association of Malawi has failed to understand the apology from the Catholics as if they did not read the communique at all. Such egocentric mindset will not take us far. A sane individual will strive to be objective in approaching issues and accept their plight. It could have been a very different case if any apology did not even appear from the Catholics.
Don’t point fingers at politicians alone even priests have so many developments they drink with many girl friends yet they have no fa RM
They drink using their own money not stolen government money,period.Shame on you!
So you actually think a priest is not capable of stealing money from the church and use it for drinking.
You fool I don’t pay my tax to church but to malawi government . It’s my tax that I am worried about you fool. You are so ins entice and careless in your contribution to this discussion