Chakwera’s honeymoon is over: Malawi leader wrong at the right time

President Lazarus Chakwera’s honeymoon is over and one clear thing is that he has been wrong at the right time. There is no better time to make serious mistakes than during the early days in office because if you listen hard you can rectify your mistakes.

President Chakwera preaching accountability and hard work “to haul Malawi from the poor economic status it is in”.

It must be said at the onset that Chakwera came to the helm primarily because people were really tired of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) under Peter Mutharika. The DPP lost favour and Malawians needed a breather from their insolence and arrogance. Calling themselves a ‘system’, the DPP engaged a top gear of plunder, corruption, fraud and gross human rights abuses.

So, when Chakwera took the reins of power the expectation was that there would be a paradigm shift in the running of State affairs, than an inconsiderate and mafia-type leadership bordering on a spate of cronyism and nepotism.

Of late, Chakwera poked the hornets’ nest when he did not abide by the stipulations of the Gender Equality Act (GEA) in appointment of women in boards. Some even took to the streets against the inequalities. Funny enough, the President still felt he could not be pushed towards that end as he feels we need a conscietisation on gender issues. In his view, Malawians don’t understand gender issues as much as he does, giving an example of his time at the Assemblies of God, where the first female minister was ordained under him. But he forgot that he doesn’t have 24 years at the helm!

And then, Chakwera had no mask on in Tanzania. Initially, he indicated that he did so because he was putting tradition and diplomacy first. That is to say, discussing bilateral issues was more important than the fear of contracting or infecting others with the coronavirus. Later, he changed tune, after an uproar that it was all because his entourage and the Tanzanians had rigorous tests! I find it difficult to buy into any of these.

Then, the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) penned the President that it was worried that the cases that showed a mark of his fight against corruption during his early days as President were faltering. Here, the President indicated through his Executive Assistant Sean Kampondeni that it wasn’t for him to squeeze investigative bodies like the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the police to speed up their work. Yet, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) who gives consent to the bodies to prosecute cases is under his authority!

It must be said, nonetheless, that while we are talking about cases dragging in the courts, have we looked at the other factors for the slow motion? Have we asked how far the paltry amount the Judiciary gets in the budget has gone to slow down cases? For that matter, have we looked at the infrastructure and human capacity gaps the courts face?

It is a given fact that some cases are sped because of the political strings. Yet others may be dropped when regimes change. When Tonse Alliance came to power, it dropped cases against HRDC leaders, while the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) dropped treason charges the midnight six including their leader Peter Mutharika when Joyce Banda ascended to power.

A tinge of hope is there that some of the high profile cases registered years back give us hope that justice may roll on slow wheels, but it comes, especially where there is a political will. Only this week Uladi Mussa was convicted in a case for issuing citizenships and passports to about 50 foreigners when he was Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security. He follows former Mzimba Hora parliamentarian Christopher Mzomera Ngwira whose abuse of Constituency Development Fund (CDF) dragged for years.

While we are at it, the rain clouds are gathering, Mr President. As the storm continues to brew, he will realise that words are not enough. It is the hope that Chakwera will weather the storm match his words with actions.

Literally, the rain clouds are gathering and the farming community is waiting with impatient expectation over the use of fertilizers. The question is, why did Chakwera and his Tonse Government tell the populace that they were bringing fertilizer for all at Folo sauzande kwacha n’kathu, when they knew that was not for everyone?

But, like I said, when you are wrong at the right time. You can change this course, Mr President.

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mtete
mtete
3 years ago

Much ado about nothing really. The author has nothing tangible to tell us, going to all that length writing gibberish just to prove he is a cadet.

Lawrence Njobvuyalema
Lawrence Njobvuyalema
3 years ago

Fistly Great writing.i just want to say that president chakwera should walk the talk I think he has contradicted himself enough.

China
China
3 years ago

This man has let himself down look at his cabinet zoona ku atenga anthu pachibale, married couple etc. We need Chilima as president

Nsanje port
Nsanje port
3 years ago
Reply to  China

Idiots..then I think you don’t have needs,,I thought it was you who voted chakwera to power..musatinyansepo apa

Martin Taylor
Martin Taylor
3 years ago
Reply to  China

You don’t have to experiment on human beings and at times try to test their intelligence. That is exactly Chakwera together with his kinsmen are doing. Naturally, the man is incompetent and not fit for purpose. In a very short period he has been at the helm, his acts have been very despicable, sad, shameful and below par. Unfortunately, the pie being served to Malawians to day is coming from the kitchen whose Chefs are Chakwera & Chilima. At the end of the day if we are being fed uncooked stuff, the blame encompasses both Chefs. Chilima is not spared… Read more »

Myafula
Myafula
3 years ago

Fertilizer wa subsidy ndiwongowonjezera koma ngati ndiwe mlimi weniweni pitani kaguleni pa mtengo weniweni. Winayo ndi wa anthu osowa.

Ghost Reporter
3 years ago

If the honey moon is over what are you going to Mr. Kamiyala? Zinazi it just shows that you are desperate. Chakwera has only completed 3 months and has got 57 months to go and you have the same time to write ndowe zakozo. The gender issue is a nonstarter. You can’t just pick every Jim and Jack. Why didn’t you ask or demonstrate about gender during APM time. I can see an invisible DPP hand in this.

Phwisa
Phwisa
3 years ago

Vuto ndiloti mpira ndi wa ndani between Chilima and Chakwera. There can not be development where the two people who want to bring that development are two opposing teams. It’s only if Chakwera can stand tall and run the country according to their style. But they have a tall order as Chakwera will first need to please Chilima, then his UTM before pleasing his MCP, then Malawians.

Chilungamo chafika
Chilungamo chafika
3 years ago

This is one of the worst article.The gender act just give us a strategic vision that we should achieve in many years to come.For your information the top 20 good performers in Gender many European countries are not their.For example the USA is number 53.But they are our advisors on gender what a fallance.Yet Rwanda is number 6.Mali and Ethiopia are in the top 10.So this should not be a priority even in USA they are at 53 but we take them as champions of democracy and gender and human rights.They will come here to teach our police humarights yet… Read more »

Manuel
Manuel
3 years ago

Dpp should quickly sort out its mess, boma la tonse sikuti ndilolimba ayi. This government has failed to convince me that they are better. They have walked back on every promise, from taxes, free connection of water, low prices for government services, universal subsidy etc. Tonse alliance acts with impunity as if they have been in power for longer periods or have achieved alot. Awa kugwetsa kwake sikovuta, please dpp, sort your mess asap and will vote you in.

ANZERU AKUMAWA
ANZERU AKUMAWA
3 years ago

Ine tsiku lija amati wasankha cabinet on merit; thinking all who were doubting as stupit. i lost trust and interest. expect more lies and stupit decision.

Joseph Mathyola Nakali

Gonjetsani adani onse njala, nthenda, nsanje. Palibe chagonjapo pakati pa a Malawi.

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