DPP incompetence so telling,  says Kasakula: ‘Malawi needs a leader like Tanzania’s Magufuli’

The incompetence of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government is so telling that it can be felt, Times Group Editor-In-Chief  George Kasakula has declared on the popular ‘Hot Current programme on Times Television and Times Radio.

In a programme monitored by Nyasa Times on Friday through Times Radio online streaming, Kasakula,  who is one of DPP-led government’s  most acerbic critics,  heaped blame on the  Peter Mutharika administration for the socio-economic woes facing the country.

“The incompetence of the DPP government is so telling , it can be felt. It can be touched. Actually it can be cut with a knife,” said Kasakula.

“There is nothing good  [President] Mutharika is doing. What is it that has changed in this country. It’s business as usual,” the media guru added.

He went on to say Malawi need a person of action in power like Tanzania’s President John Pombe Magufuli.

“We need the kind of leadership like Magufuli. We needs a leader that sees things and get worried,” he said.

He accused  Mutharika of inaction when the country lost about 18 people in aroad carnage last week,

But when program host, marverick Brian Banda put to Kasakula that the Head of State issued a statement of condolences, the Editor-In-Chief said the Malawi leader should have been on the ground to visist the victims and console the bereaved families.

Kasakula also rapped tax-funded  Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), saying it is on the dangerous path.

“MBC does not practice journalism, what they are  doing  is propaganda,” pointed out Kasakula, a Masters Degree graduate in International Journalism from University of Leeds, United Kingdom.

He said MBC workers  are  “propping up a regime that has let down Malawians.”

Commenting on  the apology offered by Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Samuel Tembenu to Archbishop Thomas Msusa of the  Catholic Church’s Archdiocese of Blantyre following his complaint MBC was using his quotations out of context, Kasakula said  it is not too let  to apoligise to the nation.

“They apologized to the bishop but they should apologize to all Malawians,” said Kasakula.

His Grace Msusa’s quotation is carried in a promo which MBC runs on its television station about PresidentMutharika’s appeal to partners on developmental projects.

Msusa said MBC was misrepresenting his statement to portray that he was in support of everything that the President and his administration were doing.

Kasakula said the Bishop was right to be angry.

Put to him by Brian Banda that Justice Minister Tembenu told the programme last week that Times were also attacking the regime.

But Kasakula said they were giving  balanced views including inviting Tembenu himself to the programme and government spokesman Nicholous Dausi to give his verbose.

In his sweeping statement, Kasakula said: “DPP incompetence is staggering . This is very, very incompetent government. They can’t do simple things like paying teachers salaries and leave grants.”

He continued: “We have a government that is incompetent, we have a President who is incompetent. We Malawians must get worried our affairs are not in safe hands.”

Hot Current program is showing brave and substantive journalistic endeavours (often at great personal risk) and discussing matters of current which are hitting headlines, taking government into task on accountability and corruption.

Kasakula is also attracting wrath of those wielding power recklessly, even criminally, with complete impunity and unaccountability as he is putting them on spot with his no holds barred critique.

The  program is also shared on YouTube.

Kasakura , who is also columnist in Malawi News,  argued that nepotism looks like the government norm.

He urged Malawians not to let mediocrity take charge.

Malawi government spokesman Nicholous Dausi is on record saying the  discussions on ‘Hot Current’ Times TV program are “unnecessary irritation”.

He said Kasakura seemed almost emotional in his contributions.

But Times are proving that they aren’t the kind of journalists that go around repeating what the government has said, they are demonstrating the media practitioners  that believe the way you hold power accountable is by reporting what the truth actually is.

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