Dzuka Malawi: Dear Cabinet Members, Talk is cheap

August 8, 2020 Rudo Tariro -Nyasa Times 40 Comments

Tonse Alliance election raised expectations. The country was going south, Tonse promised milk and honey. They likened a new Malawi as being the biblical land of Canaan. We all cheered, we all voted, I mean 2.6 million voted with their feet to get the Devils Propagation Programme (DPP) out of the Government.

Kazako 

The President, I mean Dr. Laz as I will call him throughout his term, started with a powerful speech. I have come to be a President for all Malawians. The speech some tried to tie to Abraham Lincolns statement, but in our living history, a speech that was almost equal to “Dream in Colour” speech the Republican’ third President Bingu wa Mutharika delivered in May 2004. Some said it sounded liberating as Dr. Kamuzu Banda’s 1958-I have come to break your stupid federation speech.

Then we had a Cabinet. Some trying to report on Facebook, some visiting factories or own establishment. Gospel Kazako promising MBC reform. Abida Mia shouting in Zomba. Roy Kachale defending his visit to a bakery and SKC having a litany of meetings with Ministers, Parastatals, speech about road traffic, sending back a few late comers and asking for punishment for delayed reports.

The problem I have with all this hullubabo, it does not represent the change we sought. I heard Agnes Nyalonje declare she will change education in Malawi. I asked is this “ vinyo the red wine” or “ I don’t take kachaso rhythm as the old Mapwiya from Goliati would say.

Ministers are trying hard to gain visibility. I read somewhere Khumbize Kandodo saying she talks Central Hospital directors on Covid everyday so they can manage the situation without reaching a crisis. I was surprised to read Kamuzu Central Hospital has no Covid space. Did Jonathan Ngoma fail to report, or the Minister like all others are sugar coating things they are not doing?

Take another example, Msungama the Minister responsible for Youth. He has been in the papers playing “jingo janga” (I don’t have the original name of the game) with Walter Nyamilandu. It had to take SKC to note that the Minister is more important as a Minister of Youth but they have no single programme area. SKC had to remind the Minister that 70% of the population is youthful and he needs to focus on them. Imagine Honourable Msungama’s first visit was to a football entity not 70% of the population like the good SKC reminded him that there is MWK75 billion for young people.

Then you have a Minister and his deputy writing a report on Facebook, where the two guzzle Government fuel and attend same programmes together across the country. Hon Kezzie Msukwa should be told Mrs Mia can be in office while he goes another direction and vice versa.

I imagine a convoy of Minister, Deputy, Personal Assistants, PS’s, Commissioners, Directors and their deputies all going to peep at Malawi Housing Corporation Project in Mzuzu. Fuel alone would be in excess of MWK2 million plus allowances. Does OPC or Cabinet Secretary not advise them.

Msukwa and Mia decided to add a spice- go an investigate land deals just like Kweni Patricia Kaliati telling  NGO’s in Blantyre- I will close you down. No Honourable Ministers, we are where we are today because of the same. The same attitude of micromanagement with MBC as a platform and no short term or long term goals.

The way Ministers have hit the road, no wonder they did not read their priority areas brief. So far only Comrade Timothy Mtambo seems he want to have an operational manual for his Ministry. Government departments are so individualistic and rarely connected, that in some cases you wonder it is the same Government. Bravo Comrade Mtambo, the only Minister with SKC who seem to know what they were appointed for and set the motion.

I wont talk much on the Minister of Home Affairs. But generally to all our selected Ministers, Malawians voted for Dr. Laz and SKC to see change in the way we do things. They don’t want to see you on TV telling us the Government of Dr. Laz. That we had the “wise and dynamic leadership” song for past six years. “Chiwongolelo” did two years, before that “Kasupe wa Chitukuko” after we had sang “Mwini matipate, agama Kuntunda.”

Please Cabinet Members, I care less about visibility. Talk is cheap. Competing to be in the media does not mean you are working. From Dr. Laz we expect to see less convoy, meritorious appointments (so far not encouraging), from SKC we want a long term development blue print, reformed public service, from Chimwendo we will know he is working when drug dealers in area 47 are locked, passport processing stops requiring bribes and Traffic police are off the road where they milk innocent motorists day in and day out. Driving some cars is considered a crime by Chimwendo boys from Area 30.

Agness Nyalonje will be well remembered if schools perform and quality of education improves, while Nancy Tembo will be a heroine if Chikangawa Forest, Chiweta, Chimaliro, Mchinji, Dzalanjama and many forest are restored and protected not the Makala circus all over, Newton Kambala will be thought to be transformative if poor Malawians have electricity. Rashid Gaffar bus sins will be forgotten if mining stops being a purview of the privileged not the people on the ground.

Manganya will be well regarded and even elected president if he can bring more tourists and create jobs and make the sector a key money maker. Muhammed Sidik Mia will be “godfather” if most infractructure is done and we stop paying bribes at road traffic, companies like Stadbag are given contracts to make our roads like Nkhatabay road.

Khumbize will be adored, if we defeat Covid, improve health care and invest in primary health care. Lobin Lowe will be a king if we can have food, more irrigation and never import fruits and vegetables again. Gospel’s gospel will be preached years to come if data can really fall not cosmetic make up, Access to information can be implemented and Government services digitised.

I can go on and on. Msungama will be a hero when the national youth quota in every place is implemented like the gender quota and young people have opportunities across the country. I can help him with the strategy. Kezzie Msukwa will be a hero if we can all get land not workers in City Council and Ministry of Lands who sale us on a tripled price.

Again, tell the Ministry of Local Government to implement proper decentralisation, the Ministry of Trade ensure fairness and protect Malawian business and the Ministry of Finance start implementing a quota for Malawian businesses to gain public contracts, reduce taxes for small businesses and control thieving banks.

If Ministers can stop travelling, talking, Facebooking and start implementing real stuff, we will have 10 million jobs not one million. So far as 9 August approaches, almost a month in office, I am seeing the same type of Ministerial approach- camera induced operations. Malawians voted for action not to continue being bothered by MBC. Can we have a week where Ministers are busy in office not galivanting without results! Dzukani anduna, we are in a different Malawi!

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40 replies on “Dzuka Malawi: Dear Cabinet Members, Talk is cheap”

  1. I see, several commentators are praising this articles. Well, tell you what….its all crap!.crap, crap, crap and more crap throughout the whole narration. Do you, Rudo want to tell us that you are more genius than all the ministers you have mentioned here?

    I don’t think so! You must know that ministers give Political directions to principal secretaries on what needs to be realised. But before that happens, they have to familiarize themselves with the operations of their ministries. So thumbs up to the ministers.

  2. At least this article, of all the articles in the past, makes sense. It doesn’t make sense for a Minister to go to a radio station to issue threats – that’s dangerous. A Minister should be a motivator, not a demotivator.

  4. Nothing about the ministry of foreign affairs?
    When you promised last week that you would write something about the cabinet in your next post (which is this one), I looked forward with anticipation. I thought you were going to comment on the appointments themselves. I wanted to hear your views, but I understand you focussed on the way the ministers have started their work perhaps because so much has already been written on the appointments.
    As a Tonse voter, I’ve still not come to terms with some of the appointments. High on the list are the appointments of husband and wife, brother and sister into cabinet. Gaffar with his DPP background and shady bus deals is another one I cannot get my head round. The justification of using merit to appoint ministers is defeated by the presence of Roy Kachale whose only merit is being Joyce Banda’s son, methinks. The splitting of ministry of trade and industry did not make sense. And appointing the likes of Gwengwe and Kandodo, leaving people who worked had for the victory like Kunkuyu and Joseph Chidanti Malunga is unforgivable. The appointments of the old guard and recalling retirees in the name of experience and t the expense of the youth, is a debate that’s still raging. Finally, for me at a time that the ministry of health is dealing with an emergency of Covid 19, I would have liked to see that key ministry headed by the likes of professor Chisi, a legitimate partner of Tonse who deserved something. These are the areas that I thought you were going to cover in your article.

  5. That’s Malawi I have come to know Love Chionetselo its always change of dishes but still the same soup. We are good at preaching the gospel of change whilst things still remain the same. Every Malawian knew and knows how are road.schools hospitals are and it does not need a minister to pay a visit to appreciate the mess. Was the minister beeliving inLondon not to know what’s going on. We are more into politics than developing or improving the lives of people. Just imagine a whole party leads saying am richer than a minister is the ministerial joba measure of richness in Malawi? Greedy as agreed full atop

  6. Thanks Dzuka Malawi. Malawians have very high expectations from Tonse Alliance governance. Each minister should have goals, objectives and milestones aligned to his/her ministry’s strategic plan. The milestones should be used to assess progress being made. Any minister moving with a convoy is clueless and a waste of time and tax payers money. The president should demand action plans from ministers as a basis for evaluating their performance against the numerous promises. None performing ministers will be easily exposed within 6 month. The president should fire such ministers and use it as an opportunity to trim the cabinet which is currently too large and expensive to sustain

  8. The author of this article is very intelligent and objective. Ministers should take this advice. I wish the author was a minister.

  10. Well written I could hear this talk straight from a patriotic heart talking right there.

    I applaud what you have observed and advised. Let’s hope the message gets there to the right honorable persons.

    With this mindset Malawi will definitely take a few steps ahead.

    Let’s hope mediocrity has not become the norm as it’s slowly showing and creeping it’s ugly face again.

  11. These people are very busy with nothing to show as achievement. Some of us thought that she they went into government knew what to do.if indeed they were wise they should have ask3d for reports from their technocrats so that they know where to start from. They know no project Will take off where they will get kick backs and they know they will not fly our where they will fleece government in allowances. Travelling is a scheme undertaken to fleece government in hefty allowance and Chakwera can not reprimand them because he us apart of that scheme owing to debts like Chihana and if they don’t make the most of it for instance the Mias will be in trouble with Katapila guys.
    Njalonye if I may ask what is the problem if just announcing that sister system has been abolished and a memo sent to Maneb and gazetted.

  12. We need them on the ground indeed not this tourism they are doing, it’s just a waste of time! Ladies and gentlemen, start working, time is not our side. We can’t be sitting phwiii waiting to hear from you and instead of seeing you doing things, action speaks loud than words! We don’t want this come next 5 years tidzave zoti Dr Chakwera akulankhula lero Mutharika kuti, zimachitika iye osadziwa? Bwana Chakwera,take your cabinets to work not to showroom! We know them, we had some of them many years on the same door, may you please clean your name from hanged mess they may created these guys! Enough of this! 100 days are just by the corner Sir, all in all, wishing you all the best!

  13. I like your article…. It’s candid! The HE, SKC, Kazako, Kambara and Mtambo are so far doing great!

  14. A sounding article we full eating the word
    From mouth of ministers we now need our eyes
    To witness that it is really happening.

  16. Good article. My sentiments exactly. Because of the hope and goodwill which this government generated in the hearts of the citizens, it will be a really tragedy if Malawi does not register any substantial positive changes in the next 6 months. The million dollar question is, is the current crop of ministers capable of taking us to the promised land? From whatt i have observed so far, I’m beginning to have some doubts.

  17. Mostly valid points have been articulated in this article but some are off the mark as one cannot agree with everything in the column. The author seems to be an SKC supporter and sympathizer but the judgment is reserved for now.

    SKC is at the forefront of the photo-ops and Facebooking than almost everyone in this government so far; not that there is anything wrong with that. In fact, I think the citizenry needs to know what their leaders are doing as long as it is not just for the useless glorification of an individual.

  20. I concur with your observations. Unfortunately, the recent performances by ministers, which of course is below the expected standards, was commissioned by the appointing powers. When he mentioned at Kamuzu Barracks that stock-taking will be carriedout after 5 months, they went flat out outperforming and outshinning each other in order to keep their lucrative posts. The message from Chakwera from the outset should have been to request the office holders to get acquainted with their jobs by taking over as it were and possibly have a read-through their job specifications. Instead they hit the road helter-skelter all over the country on useless errands aimed at getting allowances etc. In most cases that is what you reap when you make appointments to appease hand-clappers/cheerleaders. The issue is they will be there getting paid as figure heads. Actually, some of these people failed as ministers in the past. Now what made Chakwera give them a second/third chance as if Malawi is in short supply of eligible personnel, and well qualified for that matter?

  22. It took successive regimes many years to bring The Warm Heart of Africa to her knees. Surely the Tonse Alliance can be given more than a month to bring her back to life!? If ministers were full time behind their desks, with no public interaction, Tariro would complain they didn’t have a public presence!

  23. I may not agree with all that you have said, but there is certainly much truth in what you have said. Why continue doing the same old things?

  24. They were speaking based on perceived potential but the reality is that DPP looted big time. If all that money looted (e.g. from Mwenecho Investments to that Fresh Produce Fam, the 5.2 bn on the cement saga, 400 bn leaked from account number 1 etc) were not looted, most of these promises would be fulfilled. DPP left a huge debt not only domestically but internationally. To me, as DPP pushes for fulfilment of promises the more the Tonse Alliance government should squeeze the looters to give back to Malawians.

  25. Much ado about nothing! Lets stop being neurotic. Less thsn 2 months in office and you want tje administration to deliver on all its promises? Its a 5 year term for heavens sake! For a reason. Stop barking, barking, barking, and barking some more….for nothing!

    Stop all this barking, if you dont want to read about these ministers on facebook, stop reading their posts on facebook! If you dont want to see them in the newspapers, dont read the political pages or watch the news because the media is chosing to report on them.

    You have a long 5 years to go, you’ve started your complaining too early, mutopa! Give the government space to work. And if you are DPP, well, you are one to talk.

  27. Ask Dr Munthali of Development commission and professors of University of malawi to help them on what to do.

  28. While I agree with your expectations and sentiments, mwafulumiratu. Its not even a hundred days since the Tonse Alliance went into government. It doesn’t take a day to put in place functional systems where systems were broken into rabbles. The stumbles of the ministers not withstanding, you mean you don’t see the preparatory meetings by SKC which are meant to be the foundations for the blue prints that you are talking about?

  29. How will ministers implement if they have no strategic plan. I thought the idea of travelling is to understand what is exactly on the ground to help them plam a strategy on how to overcome challanges that they have seen, verified and identified. I dont expect much change first three months of any new government or new company CEO, that is time for strategies and planning. The country was almost a write off, it will takes years to really get Malawi into a state that we really want. So good to point out weakness, but also good to mention what positives are also taking shape..

  30. What I have noted is that, because the president has said that he is going to assess the performance of these ministers (in 3 months?), they are competing for visibility and publicity. Perhaps 3 months is too short as Nankhumwa noted.

    Madam Mia is all over and I thought she is the minister and not deputy. On the surface you would think she is working hard. I for one respect those who deliver tangible outputs. Maybe it’s just me.

  31. Bravo Bravo! My man for that words of encouragement to our so called leaders. Action speaks louder than words.

  32. That’s the Rudo we know, constructive analysis. Please come up with an achievement analysis of 100 days in government.
    Once again, well done!

  35. Can we please leave these ministers alone, after all they have just been in the office for less than two months.

    We all know that these ministers have only 5 months to prove themselves before being interviewed by the public….

  36. Even skc is equally just useless and attention seeking with his mask biiiiiiiiii. Agaluwa ali pa harvest time enjoying our taxes. 55 car convoys just to visit some dpp vision under construction, full convoy to go visit and advise escom or mera and macra. Boma la a kathyali, losamva ili.

    The only achievement is the arrest of dpp top dogs (could be justified) but that’s it. And in the process they are tearing the nation further apart uyu mtambo avutika to pacify the country, in rural areas south he will get a rain of rocks.

  37. The problem most of the Ministers act like operators, yet they hold strategic positions. We need strategic changes i.e. changing strategically what was not working.

  38. MINISTER OF HOMELAND SECURITY, REDUCE THE NUMBER OF TRAFFIC POLICE OFFICERS
    ON OUR ROADS.
    IT’S JUST TOO MUCH, RE DEPLOY SOME OF THIS POLICE OFFICERS TO GENERAL DUTIES
    SO THAT THEY PATROL IN OUR CITIES AND LOCATIONS THAN STOPPING VEHICLES FOR
    BRIBES.
    BRING CHANGE THAT WE VOTED FOR ON 23rd MAY 2020.

  39. You see truth is painful. We celebrated you, me included. But it serves no purpose if we continue to hear cheap talk. The problem with Malawi is that our population has endured poverty for the longest time and people are itching for change as quick as yesterday. You will not be forgiven if you can’t deliver in your portfolios. PEOPLE DONT EAT PROMISES. It’s true Mr President talk is cheap money buys whiskey

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