DPP made the bed, they must lie on it: Clearing Malawi rubble to fix the ruins

Democratic People’s Party (DPP) spokesperson Nicholas Dausi should not waste time to seek sympathy from the international community about a spate of arrests of its members. The suspects themselves know why they have been arrested. There is no witch-hunting or victimisation.

This is the time for the DPP to reflect on what they did while in power. Dausi will be doing himself justice if he can ponder how public resources were plundered, the corruption, regionalism and inefficiency that swept through public institutions. DPP was behaving like they own Malawi and paid a deaf ear to end the malpractices.

So many stories are emerging how DPP leaders and those connected to them were involved in massive looting. Some of their family members created ghost companies to siphon off resources in state-owned companies like Escom and stashed the loot in Mauritius and other foreign countries. Their families, tribesmen, regional mates captured the state and were involved in clandestine activities.

The current government should not relent in its quest to arrest anyone for corruption and plunder of public resources.  Former president Mutharika presided over the most corrupt government since independence. Dausi should be reminded that anyone who occupies public office is subject to public scrutiny. Whatever they do is under the radar of the public eye and they cannot run away from transparency and accountability.

This simple fact should always be at the back of any person who occupies public office. They hold the office in trust. If they abuse the office or plunder public resources they should not complain when they are made to account.

This is the stage where we are. Malawians are demanding justice for the wide spread corruption in high places, siphoning public resources through dubious contracts, misuse of public resources and criminal behaviour perpetrated by DPP leaders, cadets, and associates.   They have to be prepared to face justice for any crimes or wrong doing they committed while in office. Justice has the arrogance of waiting for an opportune time.

Dausi should not mislead the world that DPP leaders or supporters are being persecuted when they are being taken to task for the crimes they committed. Unfortunately or fortunately, the international community will not interfere in the affairs of any country when its people demand justice from their corrupt leaders.  The international community is also aware of the widespread corruption during DPP regime. Some stories about corruption found their way into western media.

DPP leaders used public resources for their own personal benefit and paid a blind eye to the cries of Malawians to put a stop to corruption, looting of state resources and other vices.  Cadets became untouchable and were placed above the law.  They committed crime at will, petrol bombing critics’ vehicles, offices, beating or harassing opposition supporters and got away with it. Where arrests were made, they were immediately released ‘on orders from above.’ This promoted lawlessness and impunity.

The consensus among all patriotic Malawians is that whoever committed crime under the previous government whether it is the former president, his wife, ministers, chief executives, cadets etc have to face justice. It cannot be business as usual. Looters of public resources have to account for their sins.

If they are clean they need not fear anything. However, the current government should not be hampered in its effort to investigate corruption, shady deals and other crimes just because Dausi wants to gain sympathy from the international community. Sending thieves to jail will send a good signal to the past, current and future leaders that anyone who is involved in corrupt deals of any kind will face the law regardless of whom they are. This will enhance transparency and accountability because leaders will be more careful how they govern the country.

More importantly, it will stop a culture of impunity which has characterised Malawi for the past 25 years. Political leaders and their close associates involved in corruption have not been brought to book.  Not this time around. They have to serve.  Once corrupt leaders are sent to jail it becomes a deterrent to other people to learn a lesson not to repeat the mistake.

Dausi and his colleagues in DPP should brace themselves for more arrests if any crime was committed during their tenure of office and should not use cheap propaganda that their members are persecuted.  They made the bed, they must lie on it. Time has come to drain the swamp. It is now! now! now!